


Childhood Chronicles

by kuchiki977



Series: Of Missed High-Fives and Time-Travel [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Crossdressing, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Drama, Father-Daughter Relationship, Female Uzumaki Naruto, Growing Up, Madara and Naruto continue to be THAT couple, Original Character(s), POV Alternating, Smut, Some Humor, Some angst for flavor, Uchiha Madara the Family Man, konoha: oh mY GOD WE KNOW, the long-awaited MadaNaru family moments, we stumbled into some plot, would ya look at that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:46:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28463328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuchiki977/pseuds/kuchiki977
Summary: The Uchiha clan grows, adapts, and...kinda sorta loses a member.
Relationships: Senju Hashirama/Uzumaki Mito, Uchiha Izuna/Original Female Character, Uchiha Madara/Uzumaki Naruko, Uchiha Madara/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: Of Missed High-Fives and Time-Travel [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874794
Comments: 184
Kudos: 397
Collections: Foxy fox 🦊





	1. Katsumi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic House  
> Too Many Uncles  
> The Illest  
> Whiskers

_**~Magic House~** _

One day, Madara wanders into the kitchen to find an ocean of milk on the floor. He pauses in the doorway as he tries to process the shards of glass scattered about that must have once been the container for it. Thankfully, Katsumi hasn't started walking yet, but he can easily picture Naruto thoughtlessly wandering through and cutting her foot.

It took months to break his wife of some of her sloppier habits, like leaving dirty laundry everywhere and carelessly kicking her sandals off the moment she enters the house, but it appears that she still has other surprises in store for him. He calls out, "Naruto!"

She calls back from a few rooms away, "Yeah?"

"Come here." When she reaches the kitchen, he gestures to the unacceptable state of the floor and asks, "What is this?"

"Oh, I dropped the milk. Sorry about that."

"I can see that. What I want to know is why didn't you clean it up."

"I thought the house would handle it, ya know," Naruto casually explains.

After taking a moment to process the nonsense she just told him, Madara asks, "...pardon?"

"Don'tcha have some kinda justu on the house that automatically cleans it?"

Do they have that in the future? Amongst the many inventions and innovations she has told him of, household jutsu have never been among them. "I've never heard of such a thing. What could possibly make you think that?"

"Well, whenever I make a mess, it's not there after I leave it alone for a while. At first, I thought you were doin' it, but then I made a mess while you were off on a mission and it still disappeared."

He looks her in the eye to gauge whether or not she's toying with him, but her blank expression doesn't give him much to work with. Finally, he explains, "...because we have a housekeeper."

Naruto exclaims in shock, "We do?! Since when?!"

"Kazue has served the main family since my father was a boy."

"She's been here the _whole_ time?!"

"Your various messes aside, you never thought it was strange that our meals are set out for us?"

"I just thought you were makin' it," she replies. He can almost hear the gears turning in her head as she reviews every meal that was already set out for them and tries to remember whether or not Madara could have possibly made it. She points to the milk puddle and asks, "Wait, so how come this mess is still here?"

"This must be the first mess I noticed before she could take care of it."

"Oh…dang, she's good."

Madara is inclined to agree. From the sound of it, she's due a raise. However, Kazue isn't scheduled to return to the house for a few more hours and that is ample time for Naruto to hurt herself on the shattered glass. He changes the subject, "Anyway, this is too dangerous to leave until she comes back. I'll pick up the glass while you go get a rag to absorb the milk."

"On it," she answers and darts out of the room. When Naruto returns, she tells him of how milk comes in "cartons" in the future and how many times she has accidentally drunk spoiled milk as they clean the mess up. Kazue usually stocks the fridge, but Madara makes a point to periodically check the milk from that day on.

_**~Too Many Uncles~** _

Throwing the door to the Uchiha main house wide open and brazenly entering, Hashirama calls out, "Katsumi-cha~n, your favorite uncle is he~re!"

"We should at least wait until they answer the door, dear," Mito chides despite following in after him. She pushes their footwear into the corner of the porch with the tip of her foot before stepping into the foyer after him.

From deeper in the house, a voice calls back, "You're right, _I'm_ already here!"

When Mito and Hashirama arrive at the living room, an unimpressed Izuna leaning an elbow on the table is the first sight to greet them. On his right, Madara and Naruto do a poor job of concealing their chortles. On his left, Rui nods and greets, "Hokage-sama, Mito-san."

While Hashirama blanches and backpedals, Mito takes a seat next to Naruto. Holding a bundle out to Naruto, she apologizes, "We let ourselves in, but we come bearing gifts."

"O~h. Trade ya?" Naruto offers while holding Katsumi out to her in exchange.

"Don't mind if I do," Mito laughs and takes the baby into her arms.

Naruto tears open the package and inspects the baby clothes as a thoroughly scolded Hashirama takes a seat at the table. He whines to his wife, "A~w, I want to hold her, too!"

Madara immediately denies, "Not until you wash your hands and get a pillow."

"Washing my hands I can understand, but a pillow?! I'm not going to drop her!"

"Remember that extremely delicate scroll that you drop-kicked into a wastebasket five months ago?"

"That was an accident! Actually, why do you even remember that?!" Hashirama retorts while frowning at Izuna's snickers. When Madara's serious expression doesn't waver, Hashirama pleads, "Naruto, talk some sense into him!"

She shrugs, "Nothin' I can do. He stressed out whenever _I_ carried her for the first month n' a half, ya know."

With an exaggerated sigh, Hashirama gets to his feet and makes his way to the sink. When he returns to the table, he catches the pillow Naruto tosses at him and settles it atop his lap. Upon Madara's approval, Mito hands him the baby.

Hashirama gives Katsumi a long look. She yawns before opening her eyes. The darkness of her hair and eyes are clearly inherited from Madara, but Naruto peeks through in the vivid indigo of her eyes. He draws her closer to his face and cooes, "So precious!"

"Of course, she is—not so tight, you fool!" Madara snaps. With some assistance from Mito, Hashirama adjusts his hold on the baby until her father is satisfied.

Izuna remarks, "At this rate, you won't even be runner-up for her favorite uncle."

Hashirama wilts. Patting his back, Mito consoles, "It's okay, dear. You're just out of practice."

Sitting straight up, Hashirama brightens once more. "That's right! We have news!"

Naruto inquires, "Oh yeah?"

"Mito is pregnant," Hashirama proudly announces to the room. Naruto is the only one who claps for them, but everyone else sincerely congratulates the couple. After he thanks everyone, Hashirama turns to Madara and exclaims,"Therefore, we're going out drinking tonight to celebrate!"

Madara refuses, "I can't—"

"Just go! I can handle Katsumi for a night and you've barely left the house since she was born," Naruto urges.

Izuna adds, "Naruto's right, Nii-san. I didn't think it was possible, but you've become even more of a recluse. Besides, I wouldn't mind going out drinking if it's the hokage's treat."

Hashirama freezes. "Huh? Wait—"

Madara hums, "Well, how can I turn down such a generous offer?"

"I didn't say—"

Izuna insists, "Exactly! It would be rude!"

"You're right," Madara sighs as he and his brother stand from the table. They make their way around the table and each clap a hand down on either of Hashirama's shoulders and smile down at him. Madara praises, "Does your generosity know any limits? Anyway, let's not waste any time!"

Laughing all the while, the brothers pass by him and make their way to the front door. A look of immense regret passes over Hashirama's face as he hands Katsumi back to Mito and trails after his drinking buddies for the night.

Once the door slides shut behind them, Naruto comments, "Oof, that was brutal."

Rui and Mito solemnly nod before all three women break down into snickers.

_**~The Illest~** _

When Izuna and Madara return from their mission in the Land of Iron, Naruto greets them at the door. She takes one look at Madara's pallid skin and glassy eyes before shouting, "Are you sick?!"

Katsumi makes an equally loud exclamation from the sling on Naruto's back. Resisting the urge to sniffle or cough, Madara stuffily denies, "No—"

"He sure is," Izuna ruthlessly interrupts like a dirty traitor. Completely ignoring his older brother's glare, he offers, "I'll take care of him, so you can take Katsumi over to my house and stay the night. Tell Rui—"

Clearly excited, Naruto asks, "Can I take care of him?!"

Izuna blinks. Uncertain of why Naruto seems so happy that her husband is feeling under the weather, he simply accedes, "...s-sure."

"Yes!" The brothers share a confused look as she pumps her fist. She pauses for a moment before asking, "How do ya take care of sick people?"

~xXx~

Once Naruto hands Katsumi off to Izuna, she drags Madara up to their bedroom, enthusiastically helps him disrobe, and stuffs him into their futon. The cold rag sitting atop his forehead slips slightly when he turns to look at Naruto. She lay on her stomach beside the futon, kicking her legs back and forth. An inexplicable shine in her eye as she looks at him, she asks for the third time, "Do you want soup now or later?"

Once more, he replies, "Later is fine..."

"Okay!"

It's highly unlikely that she delights in his misery, but he struggles to come up with another reason for her good humor at the moment. His curiosity gets the better of him, so he heavily implies that he would like an explanation, "You seem awfully excited about the fact that I'm...incapacitated."

For once, she picks up on the cue and tells him, "Well, I've never gotten to take care of a sick person before, ya know. Never been sick, either. What's it like?"

So, she's just enjoying the novelty—of a basic experience that most people have had. Once again, Madara is reminded of her bleak and lonely childhood. Of course, she wouldn't have known how to treat a sick person. Madara had ample practice with four younger brothers, but Naruto never had anyone to depend on nor anyone to depend on her. On some level, she must envy him.

He croaks his answer, "A lot less fun than you might think."

"Yeah, it doesn't look like a good time. But, don't worry! I'll keep ya comfortable," she assures him. Her eyes widen as a realization comes to her. "Oh! You're supposed to be sleeping!"

It's rather difficult to fall asleep with her eyes boring into him, but he doesn't want to imply that her presence isn't wanted or appreciated. Instead, Madara suggests, "Soup—"

"Hang on, I'll be right back," calls Naruto over her shoulder as she eagerly hops to her feet and sprints out of the room.

Luckily, Rui showed her how to prepare a simple soup the other day. It takes Naruto a few tries, but she eventually remembers the recipe and the finished product is edible, at least. She climbs the stairs at a snail's pace to avoid sloshing the soup out of the bowl, but she almost spills it just outside their bedroom when she tries to nudge the door open with a foot while balancing on the other. Thankfully, she regains her balance and avoids the potential disaster.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Naruto says, "That was close! Anyway, here's your soup. Hey, if you eat this n' feel better, we can take advantage of Katsumi bein' out of the house—"

Soft snoring is the only reply she gets.

"Aw...well, at least you're sleepin."

_**~Whiskers~** _

Katsumi and Wakaba nap in the playpen in the corner of the Senju main house's sitting room as their mothers catch up. During a lull in the conversation, Mito sighs, "Hashirama-san is trying to grow facial hair."

Much to Rui's frustration, Naruto screws up her face and responds, "I can't picture that at all. That explains where Madara got the idea, though. A few weeks ago, he came back from a long mission with some fuzz on his face. He usually shaves it off, but I noticed it was still there after a few days."

Used to a cleanly shaven Madara, Mito asks, "Did it look bad?"

Naruto nonchalantly answers, "It was okay, I guess. I told him to shave 'cuz I didn't like the feeling of his scruff scrapin' my thighs, though."

Mito snorts outright, Misaki tries to hide a smile, and Rui grimaces, "Will you ever change?"

"Change what?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little early for those of you reading this on the day it was posted, but Happy New Year!


	2. Yuriko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family Table  
> Open Secret  
> The Last to Know  
> Mystery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, the first vignette of this chapter, "Family Table," was in the first chapter, but I accidentally deleted it. I may still move it back later, but I'll use the summary to list the titles of each individual drabble, so you'll know.

**_~Family Table~_ **

A day unmarred by tedious council meetings leaves Madara in a particularly good mood. Katsumi naps upstairs as he regales Naruto with a story from his youth over dinner.

“—and then Shou thought it would be a good idea to…” He trails off when he realizes that Naruto must find stories about his late brothers boring at the least and insensitive at the worst.

She swallows a mouthful of rice before asking, “What did Shou do?”

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s talk about something else,” Madara dismisses.

Naturally, Naruto won’t let him drop the subject so easily. She insists, “But I wanna know what happened next.”

He summarizes the rest of the story, “He did something stupid and he was rightfully punished.”

Brow furrowed, Naruto questions, “You were a lot more detailed a second ago, so what’s the matter?”

Madara reluctantly asks, “You like listening to stories about people you’ve never met?”

“Why wouldn’t I? They’re still family and this is the only way I can get to know them, ya know,” she answers before grinning at him. “‘Sides, I never woulda known how much of a mama’s boy you were if you hadn’t gushed over her.”

“I don’t recall referring to myself as a ‘mama’s boy,’” he sniffs, but he’s relieved that she doesn’t resent him for bringing up precious family memories.

“Ya didn’t have to,” she laughs. Her tone grows wistful as she continues, “If my parents are still born, I’ll make sure you meet them. It’ll be weird since we’ll be older than them, but I wanna see them again. You gotta promise you won’t be mad at my dad, though.”

When he takes another bite of food without responding, Naruto drawls, “Ma~da~ra~”

He takes his time chewing and swallowing before he finally answers, “If you got a punch in, I don’t see why I can’t be at least terse with him.”

“‘Cuz he’ll be a kid and he’ll just think you don’t like him.”

“It wouldn’t be far from the truth.”

She sighs, “At least give him a chance. If he does something _reasonably_ bad, then you can be ‘terse.’”

“I make no promises,” Madara huffs.

Fully aware that that’s the best answer she’ll get out of him at the moment, she changes the subject, “Anyway, let’s get a new dining table.”

Perplexed at the sudden suggestion, he asks, “What for?”

“Well, our family is only gonna get bigger from here on out, right? We’ll need more space and corners just take up space, anyway.”

He looks down at the table that was brought over from the main house in the Uchiha settlement—the table he grew up with. Signs of wear and tear remind him of the times when the table seated a family of seven. It seems like a lifetime ago with how many tragedies befell them in less than a decade. 

A new table to make memories with the next generation doesn’t sound bad at all. Getting rid of this table would leave a bad taste in his mouth, but Madara supposes they could put it into storage. All the same, he quips, “You just don’t like bumping your shin into it.”

“That, too. A nice, round table won’t stab me in the leg or Katsumi in the eye,” promptly returns Naruto.

“...you may have a point.”

  
  


**_~Open Secret~_ **

In celebration of their grand opening and quite possibly to drum up business, Konoha’s new hot spring inn invited the hokage to stay a few days. Hashirama decided to turn it into a group vacation and invited his wife, his brother, Madara, Naruto, Izuna, Rui, and Misaki along. Unfortunately, he forgot to notify the inn to change the reservation beforehand and the establishment hastily scrambled to prepare sleeping arrangements to accommodate the party upon arrival. As a result, they were divided into two rooms by gender.

Dissatisfaction with the sleeping arrangement varied between each member of the party, but Hashirama’s depressed apology limited their complaints to exasperated sighs. At the very least, they’ll have the inn to themselves for the duration of their stay.

~xXx~

Madara steps out of the room that the group is dining in to relieve himself. None of the other rooms were “clean enough” for them to sleep in, but the men’s restroom is pristine. Just as he has emptied half of his bladder into a urinal, a presence behind him forces him to tense up. He cringes as Naruto whistles and comments, “Wow.”

Glaring at her over the shoulder, he hisses, “What are you doing in here?!”

“You heard the innkeep. Since we’re not gonna have a room to ourselves, I made time for us,” she casually explains like he’s the foolish one in this situation. “Anyway, you’re pretty amazing, ya know. I don’t think I could stop mid-stream like you just did.”

For her to discover his...condition after all this time, one of a select few people had to have told her. He already has an idea, but he asks for confirmation before he assassinates the wrong person, “Who told you?”

“About not bein’ able to go when someone stands behind you? Hashirama,” she answers easily.

The fool better sleep with one eye open tonight. Madara knows that Naruto and Hashirama are friends, but he has to wonder what _else_ they talk about if Madara’s secrets come up in conversation. Softness pressing into his side and fingers skimming his dick bring him back to the situation at hand. Grabbing her wrist, he reminds, “We did it before we left! Are you insatiable, woman?!”

She smirks up at him as she goads, “Whatsa matter? _Tired already?”_

“I’m going to make you regret those words,” he growls.

Already pulling her shirt over her head, Naruto gleefully returns, “Lookin’ forward to it.”

~xXx~

Thus far, they have been lucky that no one stumbled upon them, but he moved them into a stall and insisted Naruto keep her voice down after the first round. Exhaustion began to set in after the third round, but Madara soldiers on. 

He viciously snaps his hips forward. Naruto shudders and relocates one of the hands braced against the wall to her mouth to smother her moans. Though it’s unlikely to effectively reduce the noise, Hashirama’s laughter is audible from down the hall, so all they really have to worry about are employees or one of their companions passing by. The probability of being discovered rises every minute. 

Naruto lets out a muffled whine when Madara briefly severs their connection to turn her around to face him, but she eagerly lifts her leg when he leans down to grasp the back of her thigh. They join together once more. A hand on her lower back and two arms locked around his neck do their best to eliminate any space between them. They moan into each other’s mouths as Madara’s rhythm becomes increasingly erratic until it comes to an abrupt stop. He pulses inside her as they lean against the wall. As usual, Naruto breaks the silence first, “I’m good, but we can keep goin’ if ya want?”

“I suppose we can pick this up at a later date,” Madara huffs as though his skin isn’t flushed and he isn’t panting.

Naruto laughs, “Well, I wouldn’t wanna impose, ya know.”

Despite his exhaustion, his wit is quick as always. “ _You? Impose?_ Never.”

~xXx~

When they find no one in the dining room, they assume everyone decided to test out the baths and make their way to their respective changing rooms. Hashirama notices Madara’s entrance first. “There you are! We were beginning to think you got lost!”

Madara huffs as he begins to undress, “Can’t a man relieve himself in peace?”

“You were taking an awfully long time, tho—o~h? What’s this? What’s this?”

Hashirama’s playful tone and wide grin catch the attention of his brother and Izuna. They both stop disrobing to look at Madara. Tobirama gives him a quick glance before curling his lip and turning away. Izuna, however, joins in, “O~hoho. No wonder you were gone so long.”

In response to his brother’s confusion, Izuna gestures to his neck. Tossing his long shirt into a basket and passing through the doorway to the open-air bath, Madara looks down into the water. His reflection scowls back at him when he notices the various markings on his neck and torso. He groans.

Helpful as always, Izuna calls out after him, “You have some pretty gnarly scratches on your back, too!” 

~xXx~

“Naruto, what is that?”

Pausing with her shirt lifted halfway up, Naruto turns toward Mito. Her gaze appears to be settled on Naruto’s bare midsection. The seal shouldn’t be visible…

Mito clarifies, “On your chest.”

“Oh! It’s a bra,” Naruto answers while poking at the underside of one of the cups.

The garment appears to be some sort of fitted undershirt, but Mito assumes that it’s an alternative to a sarashi based on how it supports Naruto’s breasts. It must be the reason Naruto hasn’t complained about wrapping her sarashi for quite some time. Curious, she inquires, “Is it better than a sarashi?”

“Way better! Easier to take off, too,” says Naruto while unhooking it and slipping it off. She holds it out to her and offers, “Wanna try it on?”

Regardless of the supposed convenience, Mito doubts it will fit her based on the size of the cups. She gently refuses, “I have a feeling that it won’t fit right...”

“Oh...Saori made mine, so she could probably make one for you, too?”

Interest piqued, Mito asks, “Saori?”

“Uchiha Saori, the clan tailor,” explains Misaki from the next aisle of cubbies.

Naruto adds, “She can make jackets with zippers, too, if you’re interested.”

“I’ll have to pay her a visit, then,” Mito hums thoughtfully. Most women aren’t brazen enough to wear scandalously short pants like Naruto, but her unusual wardrobe has always been of great interest to many—active kunoichi, especially. Meeting the tailor behind it is an opportunity Mito won’t let pass her by.

~xXx~

As soon as the four of them settle into the bath, Rui happens to glance at Naruto. She does a double-take before deadpanning, “You didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?”

Rui gestures to her neck. When Naruto still misunderstands, she looks to Misaki and Mito for an explanation. Misaki desperately avoids her gaze and Mito explains with a laugh, “She means the bitemarks.”

Relieved, Naruto tactlessly explains, “O~h, Madara left those while we were—”

Rui interrupts with a quiet hiss, _“Naruto.”_

“They’ll be gone in a couple minutes,” defends Naruto and waves off Rui’s delicate sensibilities. 

Rui covers her face while Mito asks, “Where did you find the time?”

Naruto grins impishly, “Remember when Madara went to the bathroom?”

Rui cries, “You were beside me throughout dinner!”

Proud that she fooled her sister-in-law, Naruto denies, “Nah, that was a kage bunshin, ya know.”

“Then, you...in the mEN’S RESTROOM?!”

The men hear Rui’s shriek from the other side of the wall dividing the two baths. Madara groans once more as Izuna and Hashirama guffaw. Meanwhile, Tobirama pretends to be anywhere but there.

  
  


**_~The Last to Know~_ **

It’s not unusual for he and Izuna to go out drinking, so Madara doesn’t think much of it when his brother invites him out. He had been away on a mission when Izuna found out that he was going to be a father, so perhaps his brother just wants to celebrate the occasion with him. Madara offers him congratulations and Izuna graciously accepts, but he does something peculiar immediately afterwards—he returns the sentiment. Confused, Madara asks, “What for?”

Izuna’s brow knits before answering, “...you don’t know?”

A foreboding feeling grows in Madara’s gut as he responds, “Know what?”

“Well...I heard that Naruto vomited quite a few times over her last few missions, so I assumed...”

Lowering his sake cup to the table, Madara releases a profound exhale through his nose. He had thought it was odd that Naruto accepted back-to-back missions without even a day to rest in between. Taking advantage of her jōnin rank, she accepted nothing less than B-rank missions and even those were rare for her because they weren’t “exciting” enough. Either she was trying to keep him from noticing by staying out of the house, or she was trying to stock up on missions before she started to show—both, most likely.

“Based on your blazing Sharingan, I’m guessing you had not been aware of that,” Izuna comments.

Madara smiles tightly as he replies, “No, no I had not.”

~xXx~

The sun high in the sky and a gentle breeze make for a wonderful homecoming as Naruto and her teammates approach the village gates. The easy conversation between them comes to a halt at the sight of Madara waiting in the archway. Naruto starts to wave at him, but the raised hackles and the Sharingan glaring at her warn her of his fury. She blurts out, “Aw crap, who told you?”

~xXx~

The second the front door shuts behind them, Madara unleashes his wrath upon her. He snarls, “You hid the fact that you were pregnant from me—”

“I only did it ‘cuz of how badly you freaked out last time, ya know!”

“And look how it turned out!”

“It turned out that way ‘cuz you let an old lady put thoughts in your head!”

Unappreciative of the reminder, Madara brings them back to the present. “Going on a _mission_ while pregnant—”

“And everything was _fine._ Here I am, without a scratch!”

He hisses, “You could have _lost the baby_ from the stress alone!”

She retorts, “Well, I didn’t! Since that’ll probably be my last mission until this one pops out—”

He growls, “It _will_ be your last.”

“—I’ll prove to you that nothing bad happened when our next daughter is born safe and sound.”

“Son,” Madara corrects. 

“Uh-huh, sure.”

~xXx~

Despite Naruto’s many reassurances in the months leading up to their second child’s birth, the awful pained groans emanating from the delivery room unnerve him. Naruto has a high tolerance for pain, so he can’t even imagine the agony she must be in if she’s being this vocal about it. A particularly loud cry has him out of his seat and halfway to the door, but Hashirama drags him back down onto the clinic bench and assures him, “She’s fine. This is normal for childbirth.” 

Madara brushes off his hand and retorts, “You’ve had one child. Don’t talk like you’re an expert.”

“No, he’s right. Childbirth feels like you’re being torn in half while you’re also on fire. Honestly, Naruto is being rather quiet in comparison to a few of my sisters,” Mito adds with a chuckle from the opposite bench. She merely smiles as the men send horrified glances her way.

Settling onto the bench, Madara gives distracted answers to the small talk Hashirama and Mito try to include him in. The agitated tapping of Madara’s foot stops when a new voice begins to cry out. He glares at the door with enough intensity to melt it, but agonizing minutes pass before the doctor emerges to invite Madara in to see the baby. He announces, “Congratulations, it’s a girl!”

~xXx~

The next one will definitely be a boy, but Madara supposes another girl is fine, too. 

Katsumi toddles over to him and clutches his sleeve to maintain her balance. She looks down at her younger sister nestled in their father’s arms. Yuriko blinks her eyes a few times before meeting Madara’s gaze. He gently grasps Katsumi’s hand before she successfully yanks Yuriko’s tuft of black hair off her head and sighs.

Naruto’s tone is combative despite her relaxed recline on the futon. “Problem?”

“None whatsoever,” he replies without inflection.

“Really? ‘Cuz I could _feel_ how disappointed you were when the doctor said the baby was a girl, ya know.”

“You’re mistaken.”

Naruto hums doubtfully. “Well, ya can’t be mad at me since you’re in charge of the baby’s gender.”

Madara refuses to believe whatever nonsense that quack of a doctor was spouting about his contribution determining the baby’s gender.

**_~Mystery~_ **

A calendar suddenly appears in the house. Madara usually keeps one in his office, but another appeared in his and Naruto’s bedroom at some point in the recent past. He assumes it was around the time the first date was crossed out this month. Several days have been ticked off since and they seem to be leading up to date that has been circled several times. 

Madara wracks his brain for any holidays or special occasions this month and comes up short. Whatever it is that Naruto is anticipating, it must be important if she’s meticulously keeping track of time rather than just asking the date as she rushes through a mission report. However, the calendar doesn’t give him much of an idea what to expect.

~xXx~

The calendar has graduated from a curiosity to a concern. Despite numerous attempts to surreptitiously glean information about the upcoming event from everyone in his inner circle, Madara is just as puzzled as he was a week ago. The deadline is fast approaching and he has nothing to show for it.

Naruto never remembers special occasions. No one’s birthday is coming up. Their wedding anniversary is months away. What could it possibly be?!

~xXx~

Today is the day. 

Madara drove himself nuts trying to figure out what to prepare for, but he eventually decided to set aside a few small gifts in his office and wait for Naruto to make the first move. As usual, nothing goes according to plan and he wakes to a recently vacated indent in the futon beside him. In fact, the house is silent.

He cautiously stores the futon into the closet before wandering downstairs. No one is in the living room. The food Kazue made for their breakfast hasn’t even been touched.

What’s going on? Did Naruto take the girls somewhere? Why didn’t she tell him? 

The source of his anxiety throws open the front door and cheerfully calls out, “Today is the day, ya know!”

At his wit’s end, Madara meets her in the hallway and exclaims, “What _day_ is it?!”

“The day we get to have sex,” Naruto answers easily. 

Madara blinks. “Pardon?”

“It’s been four weeks since Yuriko was born and I just dropped her n’ Katsumi off at Misaki’s house,” she explains while dragging him back up the stairs. He dumbly follows behind as he tries to come to terms with the fact that Naruto used a calendar for the express purpose of counting down the days until they could have physical relations.

His frustration fades when Naruto pulls their futon out of the closet and flops down onto it. She sends him her best salacious look and pats the spot next to her. “While we do have all day, I know you’re gonna need naps and breaks in between, so let’s get started.”

Madara huffs as he complies, “I don’t know about that. I have quite a bit of stress to work out thanks to _someone.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments, kudos, and bookmarks! I try to reply to all the comments, but if you didn’t receive a reply, congrats for you have stumped me!


	3. Akane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Horizons  
> The Dawn of a New Era  
> You Look Good Enough to Eat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you need (or want) a visual reference for _New Horizons, _check out[the last image in this set.](https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/55729406)__ (Not my art.)

_**~New Horizons~** _

Of all the people that could have been selected for this particular mission, why him? Sure, the Uchiha are known for their good looks and refinement, but that doesn't mean _he_ would be suitable for the role of a...male attendant. Hashirama probably saved this particular mission for him as payback of some kind.

Madara never thought he would ever be able to sympathize with his wife's plight on their wedding day, but now he fully understands why Naruto was so eager to take off her ceremonial robes.

It's extremely tempting to rub the thick makeup off his face. The nape of his neck feels uncomfortably bare as numerous pins shape his hair into some semblance of order atop his head. The weight of the kanzashi digging into his scalp is not at all welcome, either. Madara drowns in layers of vibrant, patterned fabrics. While he has been spared the tall geta, a prostitute's uniform is not at all something he would ever willingly don again.

His name is known and feared across the world, but now he sits in a harimise as he prays that no one recognizes him. In an act of mercy, Hashirama allowed him to select his team members, so Madara naturally chose two of his clansmen that could be discreet: Daisuke and Yoshiaki. They act as sentries on either side of the street Madara is on display for. His patience is beginning to wear thin by the time Daisuke signals the mark's arrival.

The mark, an incompetent, balding courier, slows near the harimise to window-shop. Just as described, Madara suits his preferences perfectly and he stops to admire him. He studies Madara's face and neck before making a show of weighing his options for several minutes. Hostile territory be damned, Madara is ready to just stab him in the neck and retrieve the mission objective: a stolen scroll unabashedly sticking out of the mark's pack. Just as Madara's hand twitches toward the kunai concealed in his sleeve, the mark makes his way to the entrance of the establishment. Soon after, Madara is brought to a room furnished only with a futon and told to wait.

An eon passes until the door finally slides open. One of the last people he wants to see at the moment greets, "Hi, honey!"

Once he gets over the shock, Madara hisses at Naruto, "Where's the mark?!"

Nonchalantly waving off his concern, she answers, "Don't worry! I gave the scroll to Yoshiaki and told them to go on ahead."

Exhaling through his nose, Madara doesn't bother asking how she dealt with the mark or how she even knew to be here at this moment. Her usual source of information, Mito, obviously heard about the mission straight from the hokage. Some "top-secret" mission this turned out to be.

Naruto circles around him and whistles low. "Ya look great, ya know!"

"Don't mock me," growls Madara.

"Ya do, though! I like the look in general, but those pretty boy looks of yours is what makes it," insists Naruto. Apparently satisfied after seeing him from every angle, she sits down in front of him. "I can see why that guy really didn't wanna give me his reservation with ya. Too bad for him, but I'm not gonna share ya."

Though he internally preens under the praise, the purpose of her sudden appearance is slowly becoming clear. "You very well know that I was going to trap him in a genjutsu before anything happened, so why are you really here?"

"I heard you were gonna dress up and I wanted to see," she candidly explains with a grin. Her eyes widen to comical proportions as she adds, "Since I don't have the Sharingan or a camera, I have to burn this image onto the insides of my eyelids like common folk. Gonna need a really _good look_ at ya or it won't stick."

Naruto punctuates the statement by closing the distance between them. She almost looks reluctant to smudge his makeup for a moment, but she smashes their lips together with her usual gusto anyway. They get her jacket, shirt, bra, and shorts off before he notices that she hasn't made any attempt to remove his clothes. To test his theory, he reaches for the obi and Naruto stops him with a firm grip on his wrist. She lets go to slip off her underwear before falling back onto the futon and stating, "I want you to fuck me _while_ you wear that."

Wantonly splaying her legs, she beckons him into her embrace. Feigning a put-upon sigh, Madara parts an ocean of fabric out of the way and enthusiastically obeys. Though he thinks Naruto would look much better in these clothes, her excitement is clear in how little preparation she needs and how tightly her lower muscles grip him. She usually prefers positions that allow her to face him and wrap her arms around him, but her gaze is particularly intense as she drinks in every detail of him. It pleases him greatly as he roughly rams his hips against hers.

Curling an arm underneath her, he takes her with him as he switches to a sitting position. Seated in his lap, she wraps her legs around his back. They rock against each other as her hands fist in his robes. She clearly wants to pull him closer, but she is just as reluctant to mess up his hairstyle or makeup. After so much kissing and vigorous activity, his makeup has rubbed off onto her, so he can only imagine how much is actually left on him. Her goal of preserving his disguise for as long as possible and the frustration born of said goal amuse him, though. Naruto swallows his chuckle and retaliates with a particularly sharp buck of her hips. Her patience doesn't last long after that.

In pursuit of that elusive peak, Naruto throws caution to the wind and presses herself against him. Her arms draped over his shoulders and her face buried in his neck, she viciously grinds their hips together. The grip on her thighs that he had been using to tug her closer tightens enough to bruise as they both go over the edge.

By the time they're both sated, the paint that had once covered his lower lip dots Naruto's lips, neck, and breasts. Splotches of the white makeup that covered his face and nape appear across her body. Hairpins and kanzashi are scattered around the futon. One may be poking him in the side. When Madara moves to untie the obi this time, Naruto doesn't stop him. Eager to be rid of the stuffy layers of fabric, he sheds them all in one fell swoop.

It is at that moment that he remembers they aren't at home. He will have to return the entire outfit—stains and all—to get his clothes back. Worse still, the reason for his current state will be accompanying him on the retrieval of his clothes. He can already picture the knowing looks he'll be getting from the owner of this seedy establishment.

At his miserable groan, Naruto asks, "What's the matter?"

_**~The Dawn of a New Era~** _

Compared to the first two times, Madara is much more calm. After the fiasco that was Katsumi's birth and Yuriko's supposedly "normal" birth in the hospital, he can safely say that he has been around the block a few times when their third child enters the world with much fanfare and no property damage. However, his wife has once again managed to blindside him.

Naruto must be doing this to him on purpose. Not only is their third child another girl, but the incandescent red hair on the top of her head burns into his retinas. A pair of inky black eyes staring up at him is the only proof that they _might_ be related. Blonde hair wouldn't have required as much of a genetic explanation, at least.

Katsumi and Yuriko silently stand on either side of him as they stare down at the latest addition to the family, Akane. They're quite interested in their sister's hair. So much so, that they can't resist the urge to grab it. Shifting the baby so her elder sisters' grabby hands don't poke her in the eye, he asks no one in particular, "Why _red?"_

Despite her relaxed position leaning against the living room wall, Naruto immediately fires back, "Hey, some more color would be good for the clan! We're pretty dark and depressin' to look at, ya know!"

Madara turns to look at the only blonde Uchiha and accuses, "You were just tired of being the flashiest Uchiha."

While it is extremely easy to pick her out in a crowd of their kinsmen, she doesn't appreciate the reminder. "At least I'm not boring like you with your black hair, black eyes, and black clothes!"

Losing interest in Akane since her father won't allow her to poke and prod the baby, Yuriko slowly makes her way over to her mother. Naruto spreads her arms in invitation and Yuriko plops down into her lap. She hears a hissing noise as she wriggles to get comfortable, but her mother only smiles when she looks up at her to investigate.

Katsumi sits down beside her father and leans her head against him. She parrots into his sleeve, "Daddy's boring…"

Madara sighs, "Setting aside the fact that ninjas are supposed to be _inconspicuous_ , has it occurred to you that we dress this way intentionally?"

Naruto quips, "To bore me?"

Ignoring the urge to retort, he takes the opportunity to educate the girls. He posits, "Not quite. A flash of color is more likely to draw the eye on a monochromatic background, isn't it?"

"I guess..." A long moment passes until Naruto understands, but she eventually gasps, "The Sharingan!"

Katsumi and Yuriko turn to look at the noise, but they turn toward their father when they see their mother waiting for a reply from him. With all attention on him, he agrees, "Precisely."

Nodding as if an age-old mystery has been solved, Naruto summarizes, "Kinda like a spiderweb."

Madara allows, "If you want to simplify the strategy, I suppose. It's a shame that Akane won't be able to make use of it."

Naruto shrugs. "I've never had to rely on sneaky tactics like that—"

"Can you conclusively say that your flashiness has never put you at a disadvantage?"

"Well, no, but it always worked out—"

"For you. Akane might not be so lucky."

She groans, "You're such a worrywart!"

Katsumi asks, "Wurr-e-what?"

"I'm cautious. You could stand to be a bit more cautious, as well," he suggests with a pointed look at their daughter sitting in her lap. Honestly, it would do wonders for his peace of mind if she was even half as cautious as the average person—for her sake and as a role model for their children. The girls don't have a healing factor like their mother and a reckless shinobi is a dead one.

Catching his serious tone, Naruto hugs Yuriko closer. She looks him in the eye and promises, "I'll try. In exchange, you have to lighten up a little, though."

"Fair enough."

_**~You Look Good Enough to Eat~** _

Grievous sleep deprivation during a mission spanning several days finally catches up to Madara when he returns home. Or perhaps, it was several weeks? It's hard to say. His vision seemingly takes eons to clear when he blinks his eyes open long after Naruto has vacated their futon. His limbs are heavy, but he slowly rolls out of bed and descends the stairs toward the smell of breakfast.

Once he gets to the bottom of the stairs, he can hear Katsumi and Yuriko playing in the living room, but the sound of dishes clattering in the kitchen draws him in. Clipping the wall with his shoulder as he takes the turn into the kitchen a bit too wide, his annoyed grunt announces his presence to Naruto. Turning to look at him, she smiles and greets, "Mornin'—well, afternoon! We just ate lunch, but the girls and I can play outside while you eat and finish wakin' up, if ya want."

Despite his sleep-addled brain, Madara notices that there is something off about his wife. He studies her as she regales him with the latest sentence Yuriko strung together. A dozing Akane is strapped to her chest in a baby sling. Her maternity clothes are beginning to grow loose once more. Her smile is as bright as ever. Her hair... _her hair._ Unlike her usual ponytail or braid, her blonde locks are woven into a bun!

Drawing closer to inspect it, he notes the intricate braids of the style. Noticing his interest, Naruto explains, "Misaki came over this morning and mentioned wantin' to try out a new hairstyle. I offered to let her test it out on me. Whaddya think? Ya like it?"

Yes, he does. But, what he likes even more is how the combination of the bun and the traditional Uchiha collar of her long shirt bares her neck to him. Her sun-kissed, soft neck. His fingers trail across it as giggles pepper her explanation, "It's pretty...popular in the capital...right now—"

Her sentence cuts off into a yelp when he unceremoniously leans down and bites her neck. When he pulls away, Akane is wide awake and Naruto's face is almost as red as their daughter's hair. She sputters, "D-did you just…?"

"I did," groggily answers Madara without an ounce of regret. On the rare occasion that he initiates a romantic encounter, Naruto treats him to a fetching blush and a comically dumbfounded expression. Her gape makes him chuckle.

Immediately, her jaw clicks shut and she steps around him. Walking as quickly as she can with Akane strapped to her chest, Naruto reaches the doorway and turns back to look at him. She demands, "Stay right there. I'll be right back, okay?"

He nods and she disappears from view. From the sound of it, she gathers up Katsumi and Yuriko and marches them out of the house. Within minutes, Naruto sprints back through the front door, haphazardly slamming it shut as she shucks off her sandals. She rushes into the kitchen and asks with urgency more appropriate for a house fire, "Where we doin' this?!"

When all he does is snort in amusement, she grabs his arm and drags him into the living room. She clears a spot on the floor of toys with a sweep of her foot and pulls him down on top of her. Madara tumbles to the floor with her, but she grows impatient with his languid movements. Rolling them so she's on top and yanking their clothes out of the way, Naruto informs, "We only have a half hour and I'm gonna make it count, ya know!"

~xXx~

"Why did you bite Mommy?"

Madara nearly chokes on his very late brunch. Fully alert, he coughs and pounds on his chest as he tries to dislodge the morsel of food stuck in his windpipe. Katsumi slaps his back in an effort to help. To their relief, his air passage clears. Worried, she asks, "Are you okay?"

At his nod, she responds, "Good. Why did you bite Mommy? Was she bad?"

He takes a sip of tea to wet his throat and give him time to think of an appropriate reply to his eldest daughter's question. In the best case scenario, she'll lose interest and focus on something else. Unfortunately, his cup runs dry before Katsumi's curiosity shifts targets.

Eyes so much like Naruto's bore into the side of his head as he silently curses how revealing the traditional Uchiha collar is. Now, he has to explain away his sexual habits to his four-year-old daughter. He pats the tatami beside him. Once Katsumi sits down, he sighs, "No, your mother wasn't bad. She was...she and I...we care for each other quite a bit. When two people care for each other, they...like to show it."

Her face scrunches up. "But, bitin' hurts."

"Sometimes," he allows. "But, it can also be a sign of affection—between married couples. Don't bite your sisters or anyone else."

Katsumi hums as she takes a moment to chew over his explanation. Madara begins to worry that she'll ask for more information, but to his relief, she eventually accepts, "Okay. Can I have your dango?"

Too relieved to chastise her for eating snacks so close to dinner time, he wordlessly pushes the plate toward her. She grabs the stick and begins working her way through the treat as her father heaves a long sigh and resumes his meal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, it's getting difficult to keep spoilers from you guys. I'm doing my best in the comments, though!


	4. Growing Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby's First Day  
> Nomenclature  
> It's Tough Being Popular  
> Opportunistic Observations  
> It's Tough to Be Popular Pt 2  
> Crowning Glory

_**~Baby's First Day~** _

"I expect a spectacular performance today. Assert your dominance and show them that the Uchiha are not to be trifled with. View every non-clansman as a possible enemy," Madara advises as he gestures to the weapons laid across the tatami. "Now then, weapon selection is critical. What will you choose?"

Indigo eyes dart towards the gunbai.

He nods and praises, "A fine choice. I prefer it, as well. However, it may still be too soon for you."

Small, chubby hands stubbornly attempt to grab the handle and lift the weapon. They only partially wrap around the hilt before it slips from her grip and falls back down onto the floor with a muted thump.

Soft cheeks puff into a pout.

"Try another," Madara encourages.

Just as Katsumi considers the kama, the door roughly slides aside and nearly off the track when Naruto makes her entrance. Yuriko and Akane look up from their breakfast at the commotion but return to their meal as their mother's brow wrinkles. Voice still a bit slurred from sleep, she asks, "Uh...What're you doing?"

"What else? Preparing for battle," Madara answers as Naruto takes a seat at the table with Yuriko and Akane.

In between bites, Naruto argues, "Battle? Isn't it the first day of school?"

"Precisely. What makes you think the other children won't have weapons?"

"...cuz I've been to school before? It's kinda assumed no one brings 'em to school, ya know," returns Naruto while reaching over to wipe some crumbs off of Akane's face. Once her mother deems her clean enough, Akane toddles over to her father and climbs into his lap.

Taking care to make sure his youngest daughter doesn't cut herself on the sharp weapons, Madara lifts and repositions her until her back is pressed against his front. One arm wrapped around Akane to make sure she doesn't try to make a grab for the tantō within her reach, he replies to his wife, "I don't want her going into enemy territory unarmed."

"It's neutral territory and her classmates are gonna think she's weird if you make her show up to class with a kama. It'll embarrass her when the teacher calls her out, too. You really wanna do that to her?"

After that comment, Katsumi looks much more reluctant to choose a weapon. At the sight of her hand slowly retracting, Madara posits, "...Perhaps, it would be better for us to train her at home, after all."

Naruto hums, "Ya got the patience for that? Besides, you want to go to school don'tcha, Katsumi?"

Avoiding her father's gaze, Katsumi quietly trails off, "Yeah..."

"It'll be great for her. She'll learn and make friends. Who knows? She might even bring home some non-clan member friends and relax your paranoia," continues Naruto with a mirthful tone.

Catching the mocking edge to her voice, Madara huffs, "If I see a single child with a weapon when we drop her off, I'm taking her home."

Naruto scoffs, "Pretty sure you're only one that thought to give a five-year old a gunbai, but all right."

_**~Nomenclature~** _

"Father."

"Daddy."

" _Father._ "

" _Daddy._ "

"You do not have a 'Daddy,' you have a 'Father,'" Madara reiterates. Katsumi has the audacity to turn her back on him. It must be the Uzumaki genes. He orders, "Put your toys away and come along. You're going to be late."

"I'm not s'posed to go with strangers," retorts his first born while facing the wall of her room.

How is a five-year-old so skilled at twisting his words? Madara puts as much authority into his voice as possible. "I'm not a stranger, I'm your father. You will address me as such, and you will listen to me."

She ignores him. "If I don't have a Daddy, does that mean I can wear Mommy's swirl instead?"

He grinds out, "You're an Uchiha and a member of the main family. You will dress accordingly."

Katsumi deigns to give him a look over her shoulder and retorts, "I hate you, Daddy."

Hah! That weapon has dulled from overuse! The first few times she trotted that one out had been devastating, but he has thicker skin now. Madara flippantly responds, "I don't care."

Indigo glares into inky black. Minutes pass and neither of them move an inch. Eventually, the girl huffs and turns back to her toys. Madara may have won the stare-down, but they are no closer to exiting the house.

Naruto is due to return home from her mission today and Misaki offered to take the girls off their hands for the weekend. He already handed Yuriko and Akane off to her, so all he has to do is get Katsumi to school and Misaki will handle the rest. The stars have finally aligned, but his daughter is having none of it.

If Madara was honest with himself, he probably shouldn't have pushed the 'Daddy' issue. This is the worst possible time to get into an argument and Katsumi is unlikely to cooperate any time soon. Just as Madara considers gently dumping her on the academy's doorstep, he hears the front door rattle downstairs. Damn. He can only lean in the doorway and wait for her to find them. An amused voice asks, "Having trouble?"

He sniffs, "Your daughter is being difficult."

Naruto looks past him and sees their daughter pretending not to listen to their conversation. "My daughter? That temper is all you, ya know."

"She gets the flair for the dramatic from you."

Madara's wife raises an eyebrow before doing an awful impression of him, "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU, HASHIRAMAAAA!"

"I sound nothing like that. Furthermore, that wasn't _me_ ," he huffs.

"Ya do, though? Also, technically, it was you. Maybe not _you_ -you, but a ' _you.'"_

He doesn't dignify that with an answer. Why do the women in his life disrespect him so?

Smothering her laugh at Madara's scowl, Naruto calls out to their daughter, "Anyway, Katsumi, let's go to school! Don'tcha wanna see your friends?"

Apparently still mad at him, Katsumi obediently stands from her sitting position and marches out the door of her room without even a glance in his direction. Naruto sends him a questioning look, but Madara simply sighs, "Let's just get her to school."

~xXx~

Though it has been a while for the both of them, Madara's mind is clearly elsewhere as he aggressively rams his hips against hers. As much as Naruto likes rough sex, the bruising grip on her hips and the teeth gnawing on her shoulder feel more like acts of dominance than anything. It still feels good enough to send them both over the edge, but she won't let him fall asleep until she gets answers. Resting her head atop her palm, Naruto lies on her side in their futon as she asks a recovering Madara, "Wanna tell me what's got you so pissy?"

He silently turns his back to her. Normally, he lets her know exactly what he's angry about, so she's a bit surprised when he avoids the topic. Naruto tries to coax the answer out of him with a guess, "I'm guessin' your fight with Katsumi, but what was it about?"

It takes a while, but he eventually relents. A note of frustration in his voice, he replies, "The children refuse to call me 'Father.'"

She waits for the rest, but it never comes. Brow wrinkled in confusion, Naruto asks, "That's it?"

Affronted, Madara rolls to face her and informs, "They're not respecting my authority."

"It's not like they mean anythin' by it. They're kids, not soldiers," she reasons, but he won't hear of it.

Tone resolute, he returns, "Perhaps not now, but they will be soldiers one day. Tolerating such insubordination will only lead to their downfall."

"If ya keep actin' like a superior officer instead of a parent, they're not gonna like you, ya know," Naruto warns with no small amount of exasperation.

Though he catches his wife's flippancy, he doesn't comment on it. Her circumstances and their children's are like night and day, so she wouldn't understand the significance of this. Furthermore, as much as he wants their children to love him as much as he does them, they need to learn. "They don't need to like me. They just need to respect me."

"Says the guy that looked as if the world ended the first time one of his precious princesses told him she hated him," Naruto scoffs to keep the conversation from diving into topics best left alone. She continues with a laugh, "Didn't you cry yourself to sleep that night?"

Eyes narrowed at the reminder, Madara argues, "I did no such thing."

"You may not care what anyone else thinks about you, but you do when it comes to our kids," Naruto says before noticing the scowl on his face worsen. "That's a good thing! 'Sides, 'Father' and 'Mother' are so…distant and stiff. I'd rather be called 'Mom.'"

Immediately, Madara argues, "No child of mine will be so disrespectful—"

Naruto cuts in with a meaningful look, "Is it disrespect, or a sign of closeness?"

Madara frowns. She always manages to put a positive spin on everything.

Seeing him waver as he considers her perspective, she goes for the kill, "Just give it some time. I'm sure one of 'em will call you 'Father' like you want 'em to."

"I'll hold you to that," huffs Madara.

_**~It's Tough Being Popular~** _

"Where're you going?"

Madara freezes in the doorway and responds without turning around, "I'll be right back."

Akane takes one look at his mission attire and announces to the house, "You're leavin' forever again!"

His last mission ran a bit long, but it only lasted a month. From her understandably childish point of view, he had seemingly abandoned the family. When he returned, Akane had been equal parts relieved and suspicious. She doggedly followed him around for days and questioned him on his destination whenever he left the house for several weeks afterward. Naruto likes to say that Akane is most certainly his daughter, but her mother's persistence shines through more often than not.

Turning to face his youngest daughter, Madara quietly denies, "No—"

Katsumi rounds a corner and joins the fray. "Daddy's leaving?!"

From the second floor, Yuriko yells, "What?!"

All of his daughters rush to the foyer to confront him. They plead for him to stay as Madara sighs and tries to explain that he's leaving for work. Their tearful eyes make it very difficult to refuse their entreaties. Hence, why he attempted to avoid this situation entirely and leave without them noticing, but as expected of Naruto's children, they sensed his chakra signature drawing away and came to investigate. The yelling hadn't helped, either.

The woman, herself, slinks into the foyer just as the girls have resorted to tugging his clothes. Leaning against a wall, she adds fuel to the fire with a smirk, "Wha~t? _Daddy's_ trying to _sneak out_?"

Upon confirmation of their fears, Katsumi hops and clings to his midsection while Akane wraps her arms and legs around his calf. Yuriko attaches herself to his arm and tries to drag him down with her weight.

The heated glare Madara directs at Naruto could torch a forest. Not only is she reinforcing this "Daddy" nonsense, but she also isn't helping him get out the door any faster. She merely snorts in amusement before addressing their children, "Daddy has to leave for work, but he'll definitely come back if you give him goodbye-kisses, ya kno~w."

His eyes narrow as the girls immediately release him and line up in front of him with a practiced ease. Their expectant stares befuddle him until Katsumi impatiently gestures for him to lean down. Caught between amusement and embarrassment, he lowers into a squat if only to get this over with. Doing his best to ignore Naruto's snickers, he allows each of his daughters to plant a kiss on his cheek.

Katsumi lingers and she makes a loud kissing noise. Yuriko's kiss is brief, but she follows it up with a hug around the neck. Taking Naruto's words to heart, Akane pecks all over his cheek. Relieved that he can finally leave, Madara attempts to stand, but is dragged back down. At some point, Naruto must have joined the line and expects the same treatment if her puckered lips are any indication.

Their children's stares bore into his skull as he hisses, "What are you doing?"

"Waitin' for my goodbye-kiss, obviously," returns Naruto easily. Madara releases a ragged breath as his cheeks flame. He closes his eyes and prays she won't go too far in front of their youthful audience. To his relief, she merely pecks him on the lips.

Unfortunately, his relief is short-lived as his brother hums from the open door, "Where have my goodbye-kisses been for the past twenty-four years, hmm?"

Shooting up into a standing position, Madara growls at Izuna over his shoulder, "Let's just go."

"Oh, don't mind me! I'll just get in line—"

Pushing his mischievous little brother back out the door, he desperately tries to calm the flush crawling up his neck as he tersely bids his family farewell and finally exits the house. Mortified as he is, Madara can't deny that being seen off was rather satisfying. The undeniable fact that his presence will be dearly missed, even more so.

_**~Opportunistic Observations~** _

While out on a walk with Yuriko, Madara happens to run into a lone Hashirama. Greetings and casual conversation somehow leads into a discussion of recent issues brought up at village council meetings. When Yuriko grows tired of swinging her and her father's interlocked hands back and forth, she breaks into the dialogue with a simple announcement, "Daddy is small."

She blinks in response to Hashirama's grin and her father's look of betrayal. Hashirama laughs as he looks down at her, "Your father is small, huh?"

" _Hashirama_ ," hisses Madara.

Ignoring the warning, Hashirama asks, "Smaller than me?"

Yuriko decisively nods.

Madara snarls, "How desperate for praise are you?"

"Now, now, no need to be _short_ with me. I know the truth hurts, but I'm just having a conversation with my good friend, Yuriko-chan. It's not my fault your daughter likes me better—"

"No." Yuriko further explains when attention is on her again, "I like Daddy. Daddy is great."

"I'm not great?"

"No," she confirms with a resolute shake of the head. Immediately, Hashirama's smile and posture wilt.

Yuriko knows very little about him, so Madara rolls his eyes at Hashirama's typical overreaction. Not at all inclined to comfort him after that little stunt, Madara simply smirks. "'The truth hurts,' doesn't it?"

_**~It's Tough to Be Popular Pt 2~** _

Though she has united the village with the establishment of the Konoha Women's Association, Naruto insists that her job isn't finished until even the civilians feel their opinions have been validated. If he didn't know better, Madara would think it was just part of her campaign to become hokage, but he saw old psychological wounds reopen after the common folk found out about Kurama. Despite his attempts to convince her that they aren't worth her time, her emotional investment won't allow her to leave it alone.

Thus, she has made several attempts to appeal to them in the years following the incident. In her latest attempt, she brought the KWA around to the idea of a playground for both shinobi and civilian children. The academy playground has never been restricted to its students, but non-shinobi children tend to steer clear of it, anyway. If Madara cared enough to guess, the academy's proximity to the shinobi residential districts most likely has something to do with it. Similarly, shinobi children generally only socialize with their peers out of habit.

In an effort to encourage mingling between the two groups, the joint playground was built in the center of the village, close to the main strip of markets. Everyone frequents the markets at some point, so the idea was to give the children a place to play while their parents shopped and encourage shinobi and civilians to think of each other as the same: people.

Madara thinks it's a bunch of hogwash, but if it soothes the mental scars Naruto's childhood left on her even slightly, he'll tolerate trekking to it to pick up the kids. The girls claim they prefer it to the academy playground because it has "the best jungle gym and slide," but he knows their curiosity was piqued after how secretive Naruto was about her construction project whenever they asked about it. Once it was finally unveiled, the bijū theme maintained their interest, as well as that of many other children.

All the other parents at the playground freeze like frightened rabbits as Madara approaches the gates. He pays them no mind. Naruto is the one who cares about mending relations with the civilians, not him.

His daughters don't leave him waiting at the edge of the public property long. Within seconds, their heads whip in his direction. Yuriko, who just so happened to be playing in the sand with Kagami near the gates, hops to her feet and reaches him first. Kagami bows to Madara in greeting and he nods in reply. Yuriko takes his hand, but her greeting is drowned out by her sisters' loud exclamations. Katsumi and Akane shout from opposite sides of the playground, "DADDY!"

Jumping off of the swing mid-arc, Katsumi lands on her feet and races toward him. Akane vaults over the pole she had been hanging off of while talking to Wakaba, darts across the top of the occupied jungle gym, hops to the ground, and follows close behind her sister. Neither of them notice or mind the amount of attention they garner in their haste. They kick up a bunch of dust, but Madara sincerely doubts any amount of dust will cover up how their skirts flared up and consequently flashed their underwear to most of the playground.

He heaves a profound sigh. Perhaps, Naruto has a point in letting the girls wear pants. Shorts are unthinkable, but apparently dresses and skirts are out of the question. Madara doesn't even want to think of how easily a kimono could become indecent in their hands.

Once Katsumi and Akane reach Madara and Yuriko, the shoving begins. If the whole playground wasn't watching the family before, they are now. Madara interrupts the fight over who gets to ride on his shoulders with a tone that doesn't allow room for argument, "It's Akane's turn."

Katsumi stomps her foot as Akane whoops in joy. He squats so Akane can climb onto his shoulders before straightening back to his full height. With his youngest daughter clinging to the back of his head and his second holding his hand, he holds his other out to his eldest. Cheeks puffed out in a pout, Katsumi petulantly crosses her arms. Madara drops his free hand back to his side and orders, "Katsumi, come here."

Though incredibly reluctant, she slowly approaches him. She stops in front of him. In a measured tone, he says, "It was kind of you to let Akane have her turn. You're a good older sister."

Mollified by the praise, Katsumi reaches her hand out to him. Just as Madara grasps it and turns them toward home, he senses a presence behind him. Turning toward it slowly so Akane doesn't fall from her perch, he sees Hashirama's eldest son, Wakaba, standing behind him. At his raised eyebrow, Wakaba cheerfully greets, "Good afternoon, Madara-sama! Father said you would bring me home, too."

Madara deadpans, "Of course, he did. Are your brothers here?"

It's chilling how much the boy looks so much like Hashirama in his youth. A nostalgic bowl cut shakes with his head as Wakaba replies, "No, just me."

Adjusting his direction to the Senju district, Madara calls back to him, "Don't fall behind, then."

"Yessir," Wakaba enthusiastically responds before locking hands with Katsumi. Madara is only willing to overlook the forward behavior because he enjoys how much the boy idolizes him. Apparently, Hashirama has told him quite a few war stories and Wakaba frequently asks to hear more—even the same ones over again.

Haircut aside, the boy has taste.

The other parents breathe a sigh of relief after Madara and his wards disappear around a street corner. Utterly flabbergasted, none of them know how to reconcile one of the most feared men in the world with the patient father who just came to pick up his kids.

_**~Crowning Glory~** _

Madara is looking over some scrolls in his home office when he hears soft padding on the wooden floors in the hallway. They approach the door and after two knocks, he calls out, "Come in."

He keeps his eyes on the scroll as the tatami behind him rustles. A soft thump reaches his ears as his guest takes a seat immediately behind him and leans forward into his back. Akane's voice is uncharacteristically hesitant as she asks, "Daddy, do you like Mommy's hair?"

Setting the scroll aside, Madara contemplates his answer. Raising daughters is a challenge, because he tends to get in trouble for telling the truth. The question seems innocent enough, but uncertainty bleeds into his candid answer, "Yes, I do."

"What about mine?"

Ah, so that's what this is about. "I like your hair, too."

"Even though it's not black like yours?"

Hackles rising, Madara asks, "Did someone say something to you about your hair?"

"No...I just wish my hair was more like yours." The light tugging sensation of her hand fisting in his dark locks punctuates the statement.

Madara doubts this topic came out of nowhere, but he relaxes nonetheless. Knowing Akane, she probably handled the problem herself.

He never expected his children to _want_ hair like his—he just assumed they would all have it. Akane was a surprise after both Katsumi and Yuriko were born with black hair. As a result, he hoped for a blonde child as well. Alas, it seems Naruto shall remain the only blonde Uchiha until grandchildren start being born due to advances in birth control and her political aspirations. Genuinely curious, he asks, "Why?"

"'Cuz I don't look like an Uchiha."

Madara treads carefully. "Dark hair and eyes do not make an Uchiha. It's the blood flowing in your veins."

The following silence leads him to believe that Akane is unsatisfied with that answer, so he continues, "Your red hair is proof of your exceptional genes."

"Ex- _sepshunall_?"

"It means 'very good.' You and your sisters represent the union of two of the most powerful ninja clans: the Uchiha and the Uzumaki. Unlike Katsumi and Yuriko, you have the Uzumaki clan's red hair. You should be proud of it."

Immediately poking a hole in his logic, Akane asks, "Why isn't Mommy's hair red, then?"

"She has blonde hair...like her father," he reluctantly explains.

Akane grumbles, "Not fair."

"Maybe so, but I gave you something much better than black hair," Madara reminds.

"What?"

In lieu of replying, Madara flows chakra into his eyes just as he has countless times before. He turns to face his daughter and she gasps, "Sharingan?!"

He cuts the flow and his eyes fade to black as they go dormant once more. "If you keep up with your training."

Full of her usual energy once more, Akane hops to her feet and declares, "I will!"

"That's what I like to hear," he says with a nod of approval.


	5. Isn't He Lovely?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beauty is Pain  
> Fashion Forward  
> Festivities

_**~Beauty is Pain~** _

"You start from the bottom and work your way up," instructs Katsumi. Demonstrating the proper way to brush hair, she grabs a section of hair and drags the brush through the ends before repeating the motion slightly higher and dragging it to the bottom. She looks to her younger sisters and continues, "Like this. If you just start from the top and force your way to the bottom, all you're going to do is make any knots worse and pull out Dad's hair. Got it?"

Yuriko and Akane nod before following her example with their brushes. In front of them, Madara tries to read a scroll while he sits as still as possible. Thanks to Katsumi's quick lesson, it's a pleasant experience rather than having his hair painfully tugged in three separate directions. Unlike her elder sisters, Akane isn't quite as coordinated yet and he can feel the frustrated energy thrumming off of her. Rather than compensate for a lack of precision with sheer excess force as she is wont to do, she patiently follows her sisters' examples and he appreciates her restraint.

Madara has had an inkling that something like this would happen for years. Specifically, ever since he and Naruto began dating and she unceremoniously shoved her hand into his hair to the scalp before exclaiming with an insulting amount of shock, "SOFT?!"

At the time, she claimed his hair looked like it was sharp enough to "jab her in the eye." Hypothesis disproved, Naruto developed something of a fascination with his hair from that point forward. Nuzzling his head, scratching his scalp, brushing his mane for him—she does it all. Apparently, she passed the trait on to their daughters as they have always tried to grab his hair and tug on it. Now that they're older, they have channeled this habit into slightly more mature avenues: hairdressing.

Despite the length and volume of his inky locks, they finish their task in no time at all with it sectioned off between the three of them. Unsatisfied, they continue to brush until Yuriko gets an idea. She posits, "Why don't we give Father a makeover?"

Immediately, Katsumi jumps on board with it. "Yeah, let's do that!"

Not even the first line of the scroll in his hands has yet to be retained as Madara's brow wrinkles. He wonders what a "makeover" is as the girls set aside their brushes and gather supplies in a flurry of movement.

Brushing his hair is fine. Tying it back is acceptable, too. However, Madara starts to argue at the distinct sensation of his hair being sectioned and gathered at two points on his head. He begrudgingly relents when Katsumi and Yuriko ask why he doesn't want to match with them. Taking advantage of a weakness just like he taught them to, his daughters coerce him into acquiescing to all of their demands.

~xXx~

In the middle of their father's transformation, the girls hear a knock at the door. A quick game of rock-paper-scissors between the three of them nominates Akane to answer it. Standing with a huff, she stalks to the front door and throws it open.

"Akane," greets Tobirama evenly. She may have inherited the Uzumaki's red hair, but her cold, inky eyes and the haughty tilt of her head are all Uchiha—all Madara.

"Tobirama," she responds in kind.

His eyes narrow. While a lack of honorifics is not at all unexpected from a child of Madara and Naruto, he has heard her call his older brother, "Hashirama-san," so she only could have meant it as blatant disrespect. Further adding to his theory, Akane merely raises an eyebrow when he doesn't immediately state his business, as if he's wasting her time. Still reeling from a child looking down on him, his voice is unintentionally gruff when he asks, "Is your father home?"

Tobirama only asked out of common courtesy. He can sense Madara's chakra signature within the house, but Akane looks him dead in the eye and tells him a bold-faced lie, "No."

She slams the door shut before he can reply. Quick, light steps pad away from the foyer and most likely return to Madara's location. Exhaling a calming breath through his nostrils, he knocks once more. A few moments pass as a muffled argument carries on just beyond the door and footsteps approach once more. To his relief, Yuriko answers the door next.

Though she looks the most like an Uchiha, she is also the most polite and mature of the main family's three children. Katsumi is more like Naruto in her disposition and Akane is a horrid mixture of her parents' worst personality traits with a hard lean toward Madara, but Yuriko reminds him of one of his students, Uchiha Kagami. Come to think of it, they're rather close. Perhaps, he has been a good influence on her. She greets him with a smile, "Hello, Tobirama-sensei. What can I do for you?"

Calm once more, Tobirama replies, "Could you go get your father for me?"

Though she is much more courteous about it, she also denies him, "Father is busy at the moment, but I can take a message if you would like?"

Tobirama expected as much when Madara's children answered the door in his stead. At the very least, he can trust Yuriko to pass along the document to her father. He holds the scroll out to her and says, "Tell him that his opinion on this will be expected at the council meeting on Thursday."

Taking the scroll, she replies, "I'll see that he gets it. Did you need anything else?"

"No, that's all," Tobirama answers as he turns to leave.

"Thank you for coming," Yuriko bids him farewell with a bow of her head before gently sliding the door shut. Tobirama ponders the mystery of how she was born of Madara and Naruto as he makes his way out of the Uchiha district.

~xXx~

Throwing open the front door, Naruto calls out to her family, "I'm home! And I brought another gift basket from Saori! She made us a lot of sweets to thank us for all the increased business!"

Though Naruto senses her whole family at home, only Yuriko calls back, "Welcome home, Mother!"

A bit miffed, she approaches the living room to investigate. Naruto finds her daughters surrounded by a slew of beauty products and a suspiciously empty spot in front of them. Just as she's wondering where the girls got make-up, Katsumi accuses, "Mom! You spooked Dad and he ran away before we were done!"

Naruto blinks. "Done with what?"

"We were giving Father a makeover," Yuriko explains while beginning to clean up the mess Madara made in his haste to avoid being seen.

A gleeful smile overtakes Naruto's face as she asks for confirmation, "A _makeover?_ As in, you did his hair and make-up?"

"His nails, too," adds Akane. "He looks very pretty—"

"He would have been prettier if he let us finish," Katsumi grumbles.

"Father is always pretty," Akane immediately fires back.

Seeing Kastumi sneer at her sister, Naruto intervenes before the argument can start, "How about you guys clean up while I go find your dad? I wanna see how much prettier he is than usual."

Katsumi and Akane trade glares before turning away from each other in a huff. However, they obediently help Yuriko clean up the mess strewn about the living room. Setting the basket of goodies on the living room table, Naruto heads back out into the hallway with a skip in her step.

She doubts Madara would leave the house if he didn't even want to be seen by her. Honing in on his chakra signature confirms that he merely fled upstairs. Climbing the stairs, she calls out to him, "Ho~ney bunches, you know it's only a matter o' time 'til I catch ya, ri~ght?"

Silence answers her once she reaches the top of the stairs, but that's fine. There's only one exit and he has to pass by her to access it. Naruto throws open the door closest to the stairs and checks the room. No Madara to be found. She checks two more before a flash of black out of the corner of her eye catches her attention.

Madara isn't slow by any means, but Naruto is just the tiniest bit faster. She cuts off his escape with a tackle to the ground. Resigned to his fate, he allows her to turn him over. Immediately, she laments, "Why~ don't I have a camera or Sharingan?!"

Her very disgruntled husband merely scowls as she takes in the full impact of their daughters' hard work and tries to hold back her chortles. Not only is his hair pulled into twintails with ribbons, but it looks tamer than usual—like they tried to brush the spikes out of his hair.

Clearly applied with all of the deftness the tender age of nine affords her, Katsumi's handiwork shines through in the almost neat eyeshadow and mascara. Akane must have applied the slightly off-track lipstick. Naruto assumes that Yuriko is responsible for his hairstyle until he makes the mistake of twitching his hand and she glimpses some color. She shrieks in delight, "They painted your nails red?!"

Irate, Madara questions, "Satisfied?"

"No," she laughs with a shake of the head. "You look great, ya know."

Ignoring the comment, he asks, "Where did they get make-up?"

Still giggling intermittently, she shrugs. "I dunno. I didn't give it to 'em. Seems like they're pretty good at using it, though. Have you seen yourself?"

"No, and I plan to wash this off immediately."

"A~w, but it reminds me of that time—"

"Stop."

"—when you were on that one mission—"

"Don't say it."

"—where you had to dress up as a pros—"

Madara ends her teasing tirade with a terse reminder, "The children are within earshot."

"Okay, okay," Naruto relents and rolls off of him. As they get to their feet, she says under her breath, "I'll just tell 'em when they're older."

Stopping mid-step toward the stairs, Madara whips toward her, "What was that?"

Charming smile in place, she replies, "Nothin'!"

_**~Fashion Forward~** _

While relaxing in the living room with her family, Kastumi posits, "Dad, why do our shirts have capes on them?"

Slowly lowering the newspaper he was reading, a baffled Madara repeats, "…capes?"

"Yeah, the long part in the back," she continues while rolling onto her stomach to face him and tugging on the "cape" for emphasis. "What's it for?"

"I've been wondering about that, too," adds Yuriko with a questioning glance at him. Akane directs her attention from the kunai she was cleaning to him, as well.

With all eyes on him, Madara explains, "Originally, it was for fire protection. Uchiha clothes have always been made out of flame retardant materials. Nowadays, the fabric has been thinned, so we can wear them outside of battle."

Katsumi asks, "So...we don't need them anymore?"

Loathed as Madara is to think such a thing, he supposes the extra material is more of a fashion accessory at this point. "Do you dislike them?"

Eyes sliding away from his gaze, Katsumi reluctantly replies, "Well...it looks kinda weird."

Madara blinks. He looks toward Yuriko who also happens to be avoiding his gaze. Finally, he looks to his most avid support in the house, but even Akane isn't arguing with her sister like she normally would.

As if summoned by the topic of Uchiha garb, Naruto rounds the corner with a wide grin on her face. "Right?! Wouldn't Dad look much better in this?!"

His eyes narrow as he takes in the _extremely convenient_ shirt she's holding out for the family to see. Not only does it have the Uchiha collar, but Naruto turns it around so he can see their clan crest stitched into the navy material. It even looks like it's in his size. "Where did you—"

Yuriko enthusiastically agrees, "He would!"

Katsumi chants, "Try it on! Try it on!"

Fully aware that he has been duped, Madara grabs the shirt out of his wife's hands with a grumbled, "Fine."

He walks into the next room to change into it. After his belt has been untied and his long shirt has been removed, he considers the new shirt. Pulling it over his head, he tugs it down until it's completely unfurled and the hem rests against his hips. It has just the right balance between loose and fitted. The sleeves are the width and length he prefers. Just as he suspected, the shirt fits him perfectly.

So, Naruto not only enlisted the girls in her scheme, but clearly Saori was brought in on it, as well. His displeasure at Naruto's conspiracy quickly shifts to embarrassment as he re-enters the living room. His family sits in a row and he effectively walks onto center-stage in front of them. Naruto wholeheartedly claps her hands and the girls follow suit as she praises, "O~h, very nice, very nice!"

Amongst the fervent agreements and compliments, Madara hears Naruto ask, "So? Whaddya think?"

Centuries of tradition aside, his legs feel oddly bare without an extra layer of loose fabric enclosing them, but he allows, "...It's not awful."

"Right? Think of how much more convenient it is!" She ticks off her fingers as she lists off the benefits, "Easier to put on and take off, you don't need to wear a belt, you don't have to worry about it getting dirty—the possibilities are endless!"

It's not lost on Madara just how many of those advantages could be applied to certain impediments regarding rigorous activities. At the very least, he won't have to be on constant guard to stop her from trying to flip up his "skirt," as she is so fond of doing. Eliminating the possibility of turning too fast next to a sitting Naruto and the edge of his shirt catching on the back of her head is appealing, too. Her muffled " _Nice,"_ still sends shivers up his spine.

Perhaps, it would be better to accept a wardrobe change before the children finally see her and start imitating her. He relents, "…I'll consider it."

_**~Festivities~** _

When Katsumi happens to glance at one of her friends' bento during lunch, she exclaims, "Maki, is that kalbi?!"

"Sure is! I'll give you some for some of your fried egg," offers Maki with a salacious glance at Katsumi's lunch. Cutting her egg in half with her chopsticks, she scoops it up and wordlessly accepts.

They make the exchange and one bite of seasoned barbecue meat later, Kastumi asks, "I thought your birthday was in March?"

Equally pleased with Kazue's perfectly fried egg, Maki answers, "It is. It was my dad's birthday yesterday, so we had yakiniku for dinner. The birthday person always gets to pick their favorite meal for dinner. My sister always picks udon," she finishes with a sour expression.

The memory of that entire week when Maki had leftover udon for lunch and complained loudly about it ensures that the other three girls won't bring up the incident. Ume and Michiko mention how their families do similar things to celebrate birthdays, but Katsumi realizes something off about her family: they don't celebrate her parents' birthdays.

She and her sisters have always gotten to pick their favorite dishes for dinner on their birthday, but her mom and dad's birthdays just...don't seem to happen. Katsumi laughs along with her friends as they complain about some of their siblings' awful meal selections, but the thought never quite leaves her be. Throughout lunch and the rest of classes, she wonders why her family is different.

Her curiosity gets the better of her while walking home with her sisters. She asks, "Do you know when Mom or Dad's birthday is?"

The question confounds them. Akane shakes her head in the negative with a wrinkled brow, frustrated that there's _anything_ she doesn't know about their father. Arms crossed, Yuriko reports what she has gleaned from snippets of conversation over the years, "I think Father's birthday is in December, but I have no idea when Mother's birthday is."

The vague answer displeases them. When they arrive home, they search for clues but neither calendars nor stray notes offer any relevant information. Annoyed, they settle down to do their homework until one of their parents returns home.

The second the girls hear the front door slide open, they flock to it and accost their startled father. He looks distinctly uncomfortable as three voices struggle to be heard over each other while greeting and interrogating him. Setting a few scrolls on the hallway table while sliding out of his sandals, he asks them, "Did you finish with your homework?"

His daughters chorus guiltily, "No…"

"I'll tell you what you want to know once you're finished," he states as he steps off the porch and advances past them. Gathering his scrolls into his arms once more, he disappears up the stairs and into his office without another word.

Katsumi and Akane desperately want to know right this second, but they sullenly follow after Yuriko when she returns to the living room to do as told. Tough as it is to focus while their father hoards the information they crave, the girls throw themselves into their homework.

~xXx~

Within the hour, Madara hears three sets of footsteps climb the stairs and approach his office with purpose. Though he isn't eager to have this conversation with them, he is proud of how quickly they finished their homework. Yuriko usually finishes around this time, but they must have helped each other for all of them to finish so soon.

The sound of overly eager knocking on the door tells him that they expect him to keep up his end of the deal. He bids they enter and they pile in. Setting aside a scroll concerning border patrol assignments, Madara turns around to see his daughters gathered around him. They look so eager to hear about what they think is a family secret, but they'll wish they hadn't asked in a moment.

Madara takes a deep breath and begins, "Your mother was born on October 10th, and I was born on December 24th."

His children listen with rapt attention as he continues, "My birthday is close enough to Winter Solstice that we usually just celebrate them together. As for your mother..."

Ever the observant child, Yuriko notices his long pause and her brow wrinkles as she starts to connect the dots. Still in the dark, Katsumi fills the silence, "Is _that_ why we eat inarizushi then?"

"Yes," patiently answers Madara. Akane looks ready to elbow Katsumi if she interrupts with another question, so he gets the explanation over with. "Your mother's parents—your grandparents—died the day she was born, so she isn't in much of a celebratory mood on her birthday."

If his tone doesn't give the subject the gravity it is due, it is only because he fears how much shame would bleed into his voice. October 10th is the only day out of the year that Naruto's upbeat facade cracks and scars upon scars peek out. Though Madara is not the one who told that alternate Konoha about the burden her father shunted onto her, an alternate version of himself saw to it that she wouldn't have any family to support her.

It's amazing she can even look at him whenever the day rolls around, but she clings to him all the harder and he listens as she recounts one lonely birthday after another. While listening to these stories does little to help his guilt, he is more angry on her part and wishes he could have done something about it.

When Katsumi was born, Naruto tried to just bottle it up again, but he put a stop to that when she suddenly started to cry uncontrollably while holding their daughter. She couldn't believe that Madara would rather listen to all of the awful things that have happened on her birthday than have her hold it in. That said, they began to postpone this annual ritual to after the children have gone to bed, and she has avoided bringing the subject up with them. In turn, the girls have always seemed to know not to be too difficult on the particular day in October that their mother is less energetic than usual.

Madara was content to let Naruto tell them when she was ready, but it would seem that the decision was taken out of her hands by one of Katsumi's classmates. Rather than let the kids bother her with insensitive questions so close to the date in question, he decided to tell them. Now, he idly wonders if his face mirrored their horrified expressions when Naruto first told him the truth of where she came from. Yuriko's face is caught between realization and horror, but her sisters are utterly aghast.

He lets the information sink in for a while. The house is quiet enough that he hears their breathing grow uneven as sympathetic tears bead in their eyes. Eventually, Katsumi breaks the silence with a croak, "S-so, Mom has been alone since she was born?"

Madara confirms with a grave nod. Akane furiously rubs at her eyes with her sleeve as Yuriko boldly asks, "Can we have a party for her?"

He gently denies, "I don't think—"

Katsumi's sniffles interrupt her support, "Wouldn't Mom want to make new memories? To replace the bad ones?"

The mental image of a child sitting in a filthy apartment and wrapping a cup ramen with a magazine cut-out depicting a cake comes to the forefront of Madara's mind. Yes, Naruto could always use more positive memories. He reluctantly allows, "Perhaps…"

Already fully on board with the idea, Katsumi suggests, "Let's make it a surprise party!"

"That could be fun," Yuriko agrees thoughtfully. "If we handle everything, Mother won't have to stress out about it."

Katsumi asks, "Who should we invite—"

"We're not going to go overboard," Madara cuts in. "Immediate family members only, and if your mother is even the slightest bit uncomfortable, it will be the last we speak of this. Understood?"

"Oka~y," Katsumi drawls, but straightens her posture when Madara raises an eyebrow in her direction. "Got it."

Akane tries to hide her snicker as she and Yuriko agree, "Yes, Father."

~xXx~

Other than several noticeably long embraces when Naruto returns home that day, the girls manage to keep the party a secret until the day of. They have a few close calls with Naruto almost walking in on decoration preparation, but her oblivious nature accepts even the flimsiest of excuses as to why the girls are painting a massive banner.

When Naruto returns home on the evening of October 10th, she silently slides open the door and refrains from loudly announcing her arrival like she normally would. Limbs heavy as lead after training until she collapsed, she shucks off her sandals and drags herself to the living room. Sliding open the door, Naruto sighs her apology, "Sorry, I'm late—"

Her entire family shouts, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Naruto freezes. The large banner that had supposedly been for a school project hangs across the wall. Multi-colored letters of different sizes spell out, "Happy Birthday!" A colorful birthday hat sits atop each of her daughters' heads. The taut string holding it to his head will most certainly get tangled in his hair later, but even Madara has donned one. In the center of the dinner spread, an ornately frosted, triple-layer cake begs to be sliced into and enjoyed.

Worry is evident in every family member's face as Naruto takes a moment to fully process what's happening; what her family did for her. They tense up when her bottom lip begins to tremble and the first few tears spill down her cheeks. Her vision starts to blur as she lowers to her knees and spreads her arms. Immediately, her babies accept the invitation and rush into her embrace. Too choked up to speak, she beckons Madara over with some emphatic waving.

Once he joins them, Naruto squeezes them all as tightly as she can to make sure that they're real. Some grunts of discomfort assure her that she really does have living, breathing family members; people who are happy she's here and want to celebrate the anniversary of her birth. Loosening her hold slightly, she sobs her gratitude, "Thank you so much!"

Overjoyed that their mission was a success, the girls chorus in varying volumes, "You're welcome!"

With a stiff nod from Madara, Naruto gives them a final squeeze before releasing them. Then, she remembers that she laid on the ground for the better part of an hour before returning home. "I should take a—"

Smudges of dirt on her family's faces and clothes tell her that it's a tad late for that. Naruto bashfully apologizes, "Sorry about that…"

In a generous mood, Madara simply answers, "The food can wait."

~xXx~

After everyone bathes, they have dinner as usual while the girls regale her with how they fooled her. Apparently, they wanted to have Ichiraku Ramen deliver dinner, but they worried she would catch on to their plot too soon. However, they assure her that they'll definitely make it happen next year. Delicious as Kazue's meals are, Naruto is already looking forward to it.

Madara may have let the kids handle decorations, but he really went all out on the cake. The picture-perfect masterpiece tastes as fantastic as it looks. He confirms that it came from the bakery that just opened up near the Nara district—the very same that she used to stand in front of and stare at the cakes on display longingly as a child. She starts crying again as she eats her cake, but she assures Yuriko when asked if it tastes bad, "No, it's delicious. The best cake I've ever had, even. I'm just so happy. This is the best birthday I've ever had, ya know!"

Beaming with pride, the girls vow to outdo themselves next year. Madara visibly puffs up a bit, too. They really did a great job.

~xXx~

After the girls have gone to bed, Madara and Naruto lay in their futon facing each other. Wrapping him in another tight embrace, she tells him, "I like this tradition better. Let's keep doing it."

Drawing her closer, he chuckles, "Even _you_ couldn't stop them now."

"I don't wanna." Clutching the back of his sleep clothes and resting her head against his chest, her voice is muffled as she proclaims, "I love them _so much._ I love _you_ so much."

"You'll suffice," Madara replies. He snorts when he receives a half-hearted jab in his ribs.

"Thank you," yawns Naruto. "For everything."

"You're welcome," he replies with the utmost sincerity as the person who made all of this possible drifts off for some well-deserved rest.


	6. Paradigm Shift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Uchiha woman’s perspective throughout the years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally much shorter, but it grew out of control when inspiration took the wheel. Misaki apparently had a lot to say and it didn’t feel right to cut her off, so here’s an extra long chapter.

Traditions are very important to the Uchiha clan. They cling to the tried and true, avidly avoiding any radical notions that suggest they do otherwise. They shun change to the point that they fight in a war no one can remember the cause of simply because that is the way things have always been.

Despite every facet of an Uchiha's life revolving around the war effort, they have notably fewer active kunoichi among their ranks in comparison to the average ninja clan. Even less of them possess the Sharingan. None, actually.

This is out of a concern that a kunoichi could be used to mass-produce the Sharingan for enemy forces if they were captured—or so every female Uchiha has been told for generations. Misaki grows up with horror stories of having her limbs cut off and being imprisoned in a dingy cell, kept alive for the sole purpose of bearing Sharingan users.

The older she gets, she realizes that a man could be used for the same purpose just as easily, if not more efficiently. It's just assumed that a woman will be captured easier. Of course, they will. Women aren't trained nearly as thoroughly as even the lowest born men.

Though Misaki notices the vicious cycle quite early on, she has no right to speak out against tradition.

~xXx~

Generally, Uchiha don't marry outside the clan. This is for two reasons: preservation of clan secrets, and genetics. It's extremely rare for a child born of two parents in possession of the Sharingan to lack it. Consequently, the opposite is also true. While it is possible that a child capable of awakening the Sharingan could be born of parents with only one set of Sharingan between them, such unions are frowned upon during wartime due to a decreased possibility that strong soldiers will come of it.

Thus, young women that have awakened their Sharingan are prized above those who have not. They are often selected to marry into the best soldier's families to preserve their legacy into the next generation. Families with high status in the clan have the best resources to train their descendants and produce the best warriors, so it's the one way women of modest social standing can ascend higher than they would normally be able to.

The first clan head to deviate from tradition is Tajima. No one knows what brought on this sudden change, but his serious consideration of a marriage contract between one of his two remaining sons and a Hyūga is met with opposition from many; not that anyone other than the council of elders is willing to voice their complaints. However, the staunch traditionalists end up being convinced by Tajima's defense that a child born with both the Sharingan and the Byakugan would be just what they need to end the Senju once and for all.

When the news that Tajima and his sons actually visited the Hyūga compound to hammer out the details of the arranged marriage trickles down to the girls aspiring to marry well, their dreams of becoming the next matriarch of the clan wither and die. Needless to say, they are also the most relieved to hear that the contract has fallen apart shortly afterward.

~xXx~

Misaki and her sister come from a middle class family; high enough in status for a man to receive decent training, but low enough for women to be considered for the sordid work of a kunoichi. Fortunately, their father and elder brother have always managed to provide enough for the family, so that neither the girls nor their mother are forced to resort to that.

On a day like any other, Misaki's father and brother don their armor and grab their weapons before exiting out the door after breakfast. They don't return home in time for dinner, but this isn't entirely unusual. Sometimes battles rage on for days at a time. Misaki and Rui think nothing of their absence. They have no reason to believe this time will be different from any other, but their mother seems very worried. The lantern in the living room remains lit long after she sends Misaki and Rui to bed.

When they wake the next day, they find their father sitting in the corner of the living room. He stares vacantly at the wall as they hesitantly sit down at the table. The nicks and cuts he always returns home with have been patched up as usual, but their brother is nowhere in sight. Their mother tries her best to hide her sobs as she prepares breakfast, but the girls have an idea of what happened already. They know better than to ask. Honestly, they want to avoid the truth as long as possible.

Their mother sets the table and sits with them, but their father remains where he is. Misaki makes the mistake of asking him whether he's hungry before her mother can shush her. Dead eyes roll toward her as he blandly answers, "I may never have an appetite again."

Without another word, he stands from his spot and storms out of the house. The door slams shut violently and everyone flinches. Her mother's lip trembles as she confirms their worst fears while they're eating. The salted fish in Misaki's mouth loses all flavor at the news that her brother is dead just weeks after his twelfth birthday.

Never quite the same after the loss of his son, Misaki's father stops coming home as often. Whenever he is home, he spends his time shouting at her mother and drinking, so his presence is missed less and less. Eventually, he stops coming home altogether. It is only years later that Rui tells Misaki that he fell in battle, but a part of her will always think that loving-father-turned-raging-drunkard was simply tired of living without his son and ended it all.

Still, his absence poisons their family. Misaki's mother struggles to make ends meet washing laundry and babysitting children for months until she finally succumbs to the pressure and begins taking kunoichi missions. Due to her age and lack of a Sharingan, her assignments are usually the least profitable and most undesirable, but she powers through the shame so her children have more than scraps to fill their bellies.

When she dies just a few years later, Tajima compliments her work ethic and determination at her funeral, but everyone knows she worked herself to death. She held on until Rui and Misaki were old enough to take care of themselves, but everyone had seen her movements slowing and how thin she was before she just didn't wake up one morning.

No one had said anything, because it was normal. No one was in a position to help. No one else was any better off, not really.

~xXx~

Rui's determination to ascend the social ladder doubled when it was just her and Misaki left of their family. They wash clothes and babysit children to get by, but she aspires higher.

Excitement strikes her speechless when she sees a set of Sharingan in her reflection on the river surface after a close-call with some Senju scouts on the border of Uchiha territory. Struggling to maintain her composure, she drags Misaki back home after they collect the laundry they were washing in the river. They both celebrate the second the door of their home shuts behind them. With how early Rui awakened her Sharingan and how close in age she is to the main family's sons, she's basically guaranteed the title of clan matriarch.

When Misaki's Sharingan awakens just months later, she offers to delay mentioning it to anyone else so she doesn't hurt Rui's chances of being selected. Exciting as the prospect of marrying better than the status they were born into is, many girls are just as wary of becoming Madara's wife—Misaki included.

Compared to his younger brother, he has always seemed a bit more unhinged. Misaki never saw much of him during his younger years, but she has heard that he was never quite the same after his brother, Homura, died. Rumors differ on how he died, but the darkest one is that Madara killed him on a whim.

Honestly, Misaki is all too happy to let her sister have Madara. She knows that he scares Rui, too, but her sister might just be determined enough to make a marriage with him work.

~xXx~

In Misaki's thirteenth year, a perplexing rumor begins to circulate the Uchiha settlement after a routine battle with the Senju. Supposedly, a being of light intervened and prevented Izuna's untimely death before kidnapping him. Stranger still, Madara and his brother return the same day without a word of what happened. Further adding to the mystery, Izuna is up and training the next day despite receiving fatal wounds.

The rumors don't stop there.

Misaki is flabbergasted to hear that a strange woman is following Madara around, and he's actually tolerating it. He isn't known for his patience, so it's all the more shocking that he hasn't just killed her. Descriptions of the girl vary, but everyone agrees that she's a crass, impudent kunoichi that constantly argues with him. When her name is actually revealed, they all wonder how the Uzumaki clan raises their children if _this_ is the diplomat they sent to end the war.

It's unclear whether he's following in his father's footsteps or merely acquiescing to Uzumaki Naruto's apparently convincing appeals, but Madara actually agrees to sign a treaty to end the war. Misaki never thought she would live to see the day. She has heard a few hushed whispers that the clan head was briefly friends with the current leader of the Senju, but she has a feeling that the girl living on the edge of the settlement has more to do with his sudden openness to peace.

Thus, shocked as her fellow clanswomen are, Misaki is not all surprised when Madara mercilessly dashes the hopes of every girl around his age by deciding to pursue the Uzumaki woman. Once again, the clan head ignores the elders' counsel and pushes forward with his own agenda.

All throughout the construction of and massive migration to this joint village between the Uchiha and the Senju, Rui is absolutely livid that her chances of marrying into the main family have been halved and her prospective title as the clan matriarch is effectively gone. As much as Misaki isn't too fond of Uzumaki Naruto, either, she can appreciate this newfound peace.

~xXx~

Though their paths don't often cross in the streets of Konoha or the Uchiha district, Misaki has caught glimpses of Madara and his intended bride. Though she is loathed to admit it, Uzumaki's golden tresses are quite beautiful—when she doesn't have leaves or twigs caught in them, anyway.

She wonders if they are what drew Madara to her in the first place. He certainly seems entranced by them any time Misaki has seen them together. Well aware of how private of a person Madara is and how secretive he has been with his courting, Misaki's neck nearly snaps from the double-take she does when she happens to see Madara gently pick a few twigs out of Uzumaki's hair for her. Before she hastily turns in the opposite direction, Misaki sees him wrap a golden lock around his finger and the corners of his lips raise in a soft smile.

Honestly, his infatuation is clear from miles away. It's a wonder how the girl remains none the wiser. Then again, it's a well-known fact that the girl is dull as a brick.

~xXx~

Serious concerns of a depreciated bloodline in the main family result in a collective relieved sigh when the news that Uzumaki Naruto left the village spreads across the clan. The official reason she isn't branded a missing nin and hunted down is that she is "off on a personal mission," but Madara's return to a threatening force of nature suggests that his affections were discovered and unequivocally spurned.

In these times of change, "normal" is tough to define or recognize, but they return to something like it with her gone. The Uchiha council allows Madara to lick his wounds for a few months, but they eventually gather enough courage to present a stack of bridal candidate profiles to him. To their relief, he actually takes them.

Rui's profile has been included in the stack, and they foolishly get their hopes up once again. The very next day, the Uzumaki girl's loud laughter rings out of the main family's house.

Uzumaki Naruto remains a frustrating mystery as her relationship with Madara grows serious. She doesn't adhere to any social norms in general, but visiting a man's house unattended during courting is just whorish. Everyone had thought so before the strumpet actually reciprocated Madara's adoration, but now there is a very real chance that she might become the clan matriarch. However, few are willing to disrupt the clan leader's unprecedented good mood with propriety; especially after anyone who dared to send a disapproving glance in Uzumaki's direction when she unabashedly displayed her affection for Madara in public was summarily glared into submission.

Resigned as everyone is to the inevitable reality, no member of the Uchiha clan is happy about it.

~xXx~

As a public figure, Madara is socially obligated to have an extravagant wedding to demonstrate his wealth and power. Unfortunately, he is less than inclined to be of any help making the arrangements. His bride-to-be, even less so. Worse still, they trouble the entire village by only giving a week's notice.

Everyone hastens to prepare decorations, venues, and rearrange their schedules to accommodate such selfishness. Misaki ends up as one of the clanswomen Madara enlists to make preparations in the bride's stead. Initially, Rui had been selected, but Misaki offered to do it for her because she would have hated for her sister to chance death with an attempt on the bride's life.

The first time Misaki meets Uzumaki Naruto in person, it's to ask what kind of entertainment she would like at the wedding reception while she is getting fitted for Madara's mother's shiromuku—the one Rui should be inheriting. Completely unaware of the disapproving tongue clicks Saori makes while measuring her chest and hips, the tomboy bride shrugs, "I dunno. Anything's fine, I guess."

"Please, be more specific," Misaki replies tightly.

Uzumaki hums as she thinks for a long while. Finally, she asks, "Whaddya think would be good?"

Saori freezes for a moment before resuming her measurements. Startled that her opinion has been asked on something so far out of her depth, Misaki sputters, "W-well, you could have a comedian, a magic show, a—"

"Sounds good," Uzumaki says with a nod.

Relieved that it wasn't a trap to catch her being presumptuous, Misaki asks, "Which one?"

She unhelpfully replies, "All of 'em."

"U-um, I don't think there's enough time in the schedule for that…"

Cheeks puffed up in a pout, Uzumaki relents, "You can pick, then."

Fairly certain that she heard wrong, Misaki asks, "Pardon?"

"You can pick. I'm fine with whatever, ya know," Uzumaki confirms that she did, in fact, casually allow Misaki, a girl of fourteen, to make such an important decision for her.

"Very well," responds a shaken Misaki before bowing and taking her leave from Saori's shop.

The meeting leaves her confused. The clan matriarch is supposed to be a refined lady, reserved in expression and speech. Everyone had known from the start that Uzumaki Naruto would not be the ideal woman for the job, but she isn't entirely what Misaki expected either.

Instead of a coquette intent on stealing the Sharingan for her clan, Madara's betrothed is little more than an ill-mannered bumpkin. If Misaki hadn't seen how taken the clan head was with the hick and he wasn't who he was, she might think that he accidentally got her with child and was merely making an honest woman out of her.

The Uzumaki clan may have claimed her as one of their own, but Mito's poise is worlds apart from Naruto's lack of restraint in all things. Never before has there been a matriarch unafraid to burst into tears, shout her anger, or bear all of her teeth in a smile.

The strangest part of all? Misaki isn't entirely sure that's a bad thing.

~xXx~

The next time Misaki meets Naruto, it's as fellow clanswomen at her elder sister's wedding reception. Naruto has always been a regular in the Uchiha district, but Misaki has seen more of her since she moved into the main house. The matriarch always greets her in a friendly manner, but she does that to everyone. However, adjacent marriage bonds are enough to elevate Misaki's greeting to a fierce embrace more appropriate for immediate family members reunited after years apart.

Startled by the strength in the arms wrapped around her and the pillowy chest pressed up against hers, Misaki tries to focus on the stream of words flowing out of Naruto's mouth, but the genuine joy in azure eyes and a vibrant smile when she pulls away overwhelm her with their beauty. The charisma that drew Madara in like a moth to a flame completely envelops Misaki as Naruto drags her away from the table she had been sitting at alone and in the direction of the table she shares with the most powerful people in Konoha. As they approach, they see the hokage guffawing and slapping his knee. Most likely the victim of some playful teasing, Madara growls at him, "I'll remember this, Hashiramaaa!"

The sound sends unpleasant shivers down Misaki's spine, but Naruto nonchalantly sits down in her vacated seat beside her husband and joins the conversation, "What? What? Does someone need a loving embrace no jutsu?"

While Naruto certainly belongs at this table, Misaki feels distinctly out of place sitting with the hokage, his wife, his brother, and the Uchiha clan head. She anxiously takes the empty seat between Naruto and Mito, and tries her best to blend into the background. Across the table from her, Tobirama splits his attention between his plate of food and telling his brother to mind the volume of his voice.

Wiping joyful tears out of his eyes, Hashirama directs his attention to Naruto and asks with keen interest, "What's a loving embrace no jutsu?"

" _None of your business,"_ Madara snaps with a stern look to his wife. Naruto shrugs and begins distractedly piling food onto Misaki's plate while changing the subject to the entertainment slotted to perform after wedding toasts. Fortunately, Mito stops Naruto from piling Misaki's plate high enough to obstruct her vision, but only just. Her initial discomfort fades as the two matriarchs keep her occupied with easy conversation.

Before she knows it, the time comes for Madara to give his speech and toast to his brother. He draws a lot of attention to their table as he stands to walk to the podium—including Rui's. From her spot on the dais beside Izuna, Rui locks eyes with Misaki and conveys her shock at her sister's seat with the slightest twitch of an eyebrow. Hoping to relay how she ended up at the table with Konoha's bigwigs, Misaki darts her eyes in Naruto's direction and locks eyes with her sister once more. Rui's eyes narrow slightly, but she blinks slowly in acknowledgement.

Once Madara finishes his speech, he rejoins the table and the after-dinner entertainment takes the stage. Thanks to the magic show in the background and the lovely companions on either side of her, Misaki enjoys the reception enough that she almost forgets just who she's sharing a table with.

Compared to the high of the party, returning to an empty house at the end of the night is quite the let-down.

~xXx~

Despite how much Misaki finds herself liking Naruto, they don't have much in common and don't spend a lot of time together because of it. In contrast, Rui apparently still holds a grudge against her for taking the title of clan matriarch. Misaki thought her sister would have been grateful that Naruto took the objectively scarier son of the main family off the table, and left her the handsome second son, but her venomous tone never abates when talking about or _to_ Naruto. Thus, Misaki keeps her excitement to herself when Naruto invites the both of them to accompany her on one of her visits with Mito.

The Senju matriarch is such a gracious host that Misaki almost relaxes in the unsettling calm of the enemy compound. She is every bit the refined lady that her status demands of her, so Misaki quietly wonders why Naruto is the way she is, despite being a fellow Uzumaki. Unfortunately, Rui must think along the same lines because her criticisms and corrections of Naruto's behavior grow particularly pointed as they have tea in the sitting room of the Senju main house.

When Naruto excuses herself to go to the bathroom, the Senju matriarch reprimands Rui in an even tone, "That's enough."

The quiet authority in Mito's voice and her hard eyes startle Rui. Surprised by the sudden change in their jovial host, she sputters, "P-pardon?"

"I'm telling you to cease your constant needling of Naruto," Mito explains unapologetically before bringing her cup to her lips for a regal sip.

Unwilling to simply give in to what she considers an unreasonable order, some insult bleeds into Rui's reply, "Surely, you can understand that her behavior is unacceptable for someone of her status—"

Placing her cup back on the table, Mito asserts, "A status that is above yours. _Surely,_ you wouldn't presume to tell Madara-sama how to act?"

Rui balks at even the thought. "Of course not—"

"Then, what makes you think you're in any position to tell Naruto how to behave?"

When Misaki's eyes dart to her sister sitting beside her on the tatami, she sees the telltale twitch of Rui's cheek as she rages internally. The movement doesn't escape Mito's attention either, because she mercilessly continues, "You seem like the type to hold a grudge. I don't mind if you hold one against me, but spare Naruto your petty anger. She has had more than enough strife in her life without you adding to it."

A heavy silence settles as Rui seethes. Unable to help her curiosity, Misaki quietly asks, "What do you mean by 'strife?'"

Dark eyes swivel toward her and Misaki worries that she has insulted her host, but Mito folds her hands in her lap and explains, "Naruto wasn't born in Uzushiogakure. Her parents died soon after she was born, so she was forced to raise herself in the Land of Fire. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how unkind the world is to orphans."

While that explains why Naruto doesn't readily pick up on social cues or expectations, Misaki feels infinitely bad for unkindly assuming Naruto was an unwanted bastard child based solely on how dissimilar she looks to Mito or the Uzumaki clansmen that Madara brought back to Konoha while attempting to court her. Misaki's contrition must show in her face because Mito's eyes soften the slightest bit.

When Naruto returns from the bathroom, conversation is a bit stilted until Mito suggests Naruto regale them with the details of her latest mission. She eagerly complies and beams when she gets a smothered snicker out of Rui.

~xXx~

Though it will be a long time until Rui forgives Naruto for stealing her title and even longer until she forgets how thoroughly Mito put her in her place, she begins to soften up and allow the Uchiha matriarch to grow on her. Aware that it's still a touchy subject for her, Misaki refrains from teasing her sister about the maternal edge her corrections take on. Despite her seniority and higher status, Naruto tolerates Rui's attempts to craft her into the ideal matriarch. She doesn't always heed Rui's scolding, but she oddly seems to revel in the attention.

~xXx~

Misaki finally gets the chance to spend exorbitant amounts of time with Naruto when Madara prohibits missions until their first child is born. During one of their now frequent conversations, Misaki is surprised to hear that Naruto expects to go back on active duty once the baby is born. Even more surprising is that Madara agreed to it. When Misaki hesitantly asks why, Naruto screws her face up and explains in an annoyed tone, "He said he didn't want the kids to 'catch stupid' 'cuz he left 'em in my care too long.'"

Still reeling from the fact that the _clan head_ plans to take an active role in raising his children, rather than just training them, Misaki almost misses Naruto's continuation, "'Course, I'm gonna have all our kids before I become hokage, ya know."

The confidence and certainty in her tone flabbergasts Misaki at the time, but she sees first-hand just how driven Naruto is when she holds an unprecedented, women-exclusive clan meeting. Despite their disapproval of her mere presence in the Uchiha district, nearly every woman in the clan attends the meeting. Naruto shocks everyone with her comprehensive plans, but her willingness to listen to their grievances and _do something about them_ is what starts to gain her favor among her clanswomen.

Even if they merely discussed issues at the first meeting, the high of illusory productivity is what spurs the Uchiha women to follow Naruto into enemy territory. For the sake of their children, they're willing to put their trust in an outsider and work alongside the Senju.

Naruto continues to amaze when she not only survives her husband's wrath after destroying a precious clan artifact, but she seemingly gets away with it without even a slap on the wrist. The council of elders uses the opportunity to try to convince Madara to get rid of Naruto, but he simply dismisses their concerns with a sharp comment, "What good was a rock we couldn't even read?"

In light of how much Naruto has accomplished to date, it shouldn't surprise Misaki when Naruto unites all of the major clans of Konoha under a single committee, but it does. With a generous amount of help from their spokeswoman, the Konoha Women's Association manages to end a vicious cycle dating back centuries.

Initially, the children have mixed feelings on compulsory education. Those that had a foot in the grave every time they stepped onto the battlefield are all too happy to trade their armor and weapons for textbooks and ink brushes, but the seasoned warriors that were already confident in their skills are less willing to comply. However, they come around to the idea as their more experienced teachers give them knowledge and tips that only years of struggling and harsh lessons would have taught them.

Some had been concerned that former enemies would refuse to mesh. In part, they were right. Classrooms with former Senju and Uchiha soldiers, for example, were tense for quite a while, but they grew used to their new reality in time. Whether due to youth or the harmonious village they find themselves living in, a tentative camaraderie develops among the students.

Without the fear of their children dying untimely deaths, the KWA next sets its sights on building a sense of community in the village with a festival. Though the Founding Festival's initial reception is negative, the planning of it fosters a fellowship among the shinobi clans and civilians.

Throughout all of Naruto's efforts, Misaki is at her side, providing counsel. Big or small, Naruto values her opinion as she forges ahead with progress, regardless of who tries to stand in her way. Naturally, the pinnacle of their success also serves as the vehicle for their downfall.

~xXx~

Tasked with guarding the main house while Madara hoards his last remaining family members in the bunker underneath Naka Shrine, Misaki spends her days watering Naruto's garden and hoping that whoever poisoned Izuna is brought to justice. The sooner the culprit is found, the better.

For the most part, guard duty is uneventful. Thus, Misaki is utterly caught off guard by knocking at the door three weeks into the main family's seclusion. The slight grogginess after dozing against the living room wall dissipates entirely when she opens the door to find the hokage and his brother towering over her.

Despite the friendly smile Hashirama directs at her, fear settles in the pit of Misaki's stomach. He kindly asks, "Do you know where Madara is? We have a couple of things to discuss with him."

It takes an immense amount of effort to shake her head in the negative, but she successfully conveys her answer—much to Tobirama's frustration. He asserts, "We know Madara hasn't left the village and he's hiding somewhere. He has a job to do—"

When Misaki merely shakes her head in the negative again, Tobirama's fury is evident as he demands, "Tell us where he is!"

It baffles Misaki how she's still so afraid of the Senju after all the time she has spent working with them, until she remembers that Senju KWA members mostly consist of noncombatants. The two men trying to get the main family's location out of her are soldiers. She has no way of knowing whether they killed her father or brother, but the possibility that they might have is enough to frighten her.

Despite his brother's chiding, Tobirama's insistence doesn't abate. He may only be a few years older, but the knowledge that he has killed people—her clansmen—fills her with dread. Misaki wishes someone was here to act as a buffer. Even Madara would suffice, but he's protecting his family. The same thing she should be doing.

Pressure builds behind Misaki's eyes and the world takes on a scarlet tint for a moment before her enhanced vision calibrates. Her fear may be evident in her stance, but Tobirama takes the activation of her Sharingan as a threat. Though her eyes follow the lightning fast speed at which he whips a kunai out, she doesn't have the training or reflexes to dodge his swing. Fortunately for her, Hashirama stops his brother's arm mid-arc.

When Tobirama glares at his brother in silent askance, Hashirama sternly states, "We're not here to start a fight. Put that away and calm down."

Misaki jumps when Hashirama directs his attention back to her. For a moment, she's surprised that he actually met her gaze, but then she notices that he is focusing on a point on her face just below her eyes. His brother snatches his hand away and backs off as the hokage apologizes, "We're sorry for scaring you. Please, tell Madara that we would like to talk to him the next time you see him."

With nothing but a nod of confirmation that she will grant his request, Hashirama herds his brother away from the house. Limbs still stiff, Misaki slides the front door shut before leaning against a wall and sliding down it. Hugging her knees to her chest, she cries. It had been terrifying confronting two Senju soldiers and she had nearly died of fright when her Sharingan involuntarily activated, but she's so happy that she managed to protect Naruto.

Mere hours later, a minor earthquake shakes the house and she hears distinctly worrying sounds coming from elsewhere in the village, but Misaki remains at her post. Ultimately, Rui relieves her of duty when she bursts into the main house and urges her to come to the bunker.

When they arrive, the devastation of the main family renders her speechless. An exhausted Madara resting against the wall orders her to retrieve a clean futon for Naruto and help her get cleaned up. Misaki is all too happy to have something to keep her mind off of how much blood coats Naruto's legs. While collecting a futon, she wonders whether Naruto lost the baby. Much to her relief, she returns to the bunker and catches a glimpse of the sleeping bundle clutched in a dozing Madara's arms as she gently helps Naruto into the bathroom.

Disoriented as she is, Naruto is not of much help as Misaki strips the bloody hospital gown off her, scrubs the grime off her skin, and washes her hair. To Misaki's immense relief, a horrendous wound is not hiding beneath the dry blood once she rinses Naruto off. She helps her into the tub and takes a moment to appreciate that Naruto survived whatever happened to her. Eventually, Naruto becomes lucid and starts shifting in the tub.

Still a bit unbalanced, Naruto accepts Misaki's help to get out of the tub. She insists that she can dry off and dress herself, but she doesn't make a fuss when Misaki insists that she'll brush her hair. Actually, she seems almost eager as she sits on the stool and Misaki moves to stand behind her. Her eyes fall shut as Misaki drags the brush through her long, golden locks. The simple act has a calming effect on the both of them, but Misaki ruins the moment with her sniffles.

Naruto hadn't noticed the tear tracks on her face with her eyes closed, but Misaki's sniffles echo off the bathroom walls. Opening her eyes, she sees Misaki's reflection in the bathroom mirror trying to hold back tears and asks, "What's the matter?"

Misaki sobs a question of her own, "Why do you seem so fine after what you've been through?"

Naruto humorlessly chuckles, "I've been through a lot worse, ya know."

The matter-of-fact way Naruto attempts to reassure Misaki with such a horrid admission breaks her. Tossing aside all propriety, she puts down the brush and hugs Naruto as tightly as she can. The Uchiha matriarch turns in her embrace and returns it with a fraction of the strength she usually does. She pats Misaki's back and they stay like that for a long time.

~xXx~

The following days in the bunker are surreal, to say the least. Not only does Misaki learn that Naruto has a demon fox sealed inside her, but she gets an unabridged look at the inner workings of the main family. Naruto may have beaten Shimura Kenji to death, but Misaki has a feeling that he got off easy compared to what Madara would have done to him.

It's a tense day for Misaki as Madara watches her like a hawk while she burps, bathes, and changes his daughter's diaper. Halfway through, she realizes that he's observing her to learn how to care for his child. The very next day, he takes over all duties concerning the baby. Eventually, Misaki surmises that Madara doesn't trust anyone else to do it.

Much like how he monopolized Naruto's attention while they were courting/dating, Madara only lets go of the infant so her mother can feed her. Even then, he hovers around the both of them; always making sure his wife, daughter, and brother are within his sights.

On the other side of the spectrum, Naruto seems oddly hesitant to hold her child. For someone so full of confidence, it's shocking to see her unsure of herself in anything. Misaki feels like a fool by the time she remembers that Naruto doesn't have a comprehensive parenting example to follow because she raised herself.

It feels distinctly like she's overstepping her bounds once more, but Misaki encourages Naruto to bond with her baby. The matriarch hems and haws, but she folds when Misaki assures her that she can do it. Bordering on extreme exhaustion as he is, Madara relinquishes his hold on the baby to his wife easier than he might have if he was functioning properly and sleeps for almost two full days. If his chest didn't rise and fall with his breathing, Misaki would think he died with how soundly he sleeps through a fussy infant's wails every few hours.

Equal parts excited and anxious, Naruto familiarizes herself with her child without her husband breathing down her neck. Quick learner that she is, Naruto supports her baby's head without needing to be reminded and changes diapers like a natural within a few hours. Some audacious praise slips out of Misaki's mouth, and Naruto beams.

When Madara finally wakes, everyone is more than ready to ascend to the surface. Though it took Misaki multiple trips to bring down all of the supplies Madara meticulously collected in the nine months before his child's birth, he effortlessly carries the bags up the stairs. Rui helps Izuna up the stairs and Misaki trails after Naruto to make sure she doesn't fall. The matriarch hasn't stumbled in days, but Misaki refuses to take the chance; especially with the next generation of the main family cradled in her arms. 

Within hours of them settling back in the main house, the Senju brothers show up on the doorstep once more. This time, Madara answers. Misaki doesn't catch most of the words, but Madara's growls indicate that they aren't here to offer congratulations. When he storms back to the living room where everyone is gathered, he venomously announces that he and Naruto will be expected at a hearing the next day.

When the time comes, Madara hands his daughter over to Misaki with palpable reluctance. Even after witnessing his unbridled love for her, she remembers that disappointed wilt when he discovered the baby's gender. That said, he hasn't tossed the little girl aside and berated Naruto for not giving him a son, so he has come a long way from what he has been taught.

With a final hard stare, he steps away from them and toward his brother's futon. Compared to the privilege of sitting in on the main family's discussion of their options if the village council banishes Naruto, the immense weight of the responsibility in her arms almost crushes her.

A hand clapping down on her shoulder startles Misaki, but she makes sure that her hold on the baby is secure. In far too casual of a tone, Naruto says as she passes by, "If me 'n Madara happen to kick the bucket while we're out, I'm entrusting you with her, ya know."

"Wait, what?! I don't—"

Already halfway out the front door, Naruto calls back, "Don't leave the village or nothin, okay? Good luck!"

The door slams shut and Misaki sighs. Gurgles draw her attention downward. The light of day illuminates the vibrant indigo of Naruto's daughter's eyes. Beautiful as they are, Misaki wonders whether she'll be capable of awakening the Sharingan. Whenever the elders brought up the subject, Madara waved them off with the certainty that his genes were too potent to be overwritten in a single generation. Misaki dearly hopes that he's right, considering the enormous target her parentage has painted on her back.

~xXx~

When Naruto and Madara return home, Misaki is at first alarmed that the matriarch has clearly been crying. Fortunately, she clears up the misunderstanding just as soon as Madara has collected the baby and taken up his post beside Izuna's futon. Naruto brags, "Everybody in the KWA defended me!"

Misaki breathes a sigh of relief. After how much Naruto put on the line to give them a voice, Misaki would have been furious if they had not come through in their spokeswoman's hour of need. A calm settles over the house as the main family is reunited once more.

Of course, that is when Naruto and her daughter liven things up. The only other male in the house is Madara's brother, but the matriarch nearly flashes him in her haste to feed her baby. Thankfully, Rui's quick thinking saves her the embarrassment, even if Naruto, herself, might not feel ashamed.

After much back and forth, the baby is finally given a name to live up to: Katsumi.

~xXx~

After Yuriko's thankfully safe, normal birth, Rui begins hinting that Misaki should get married. Well aware of how much effort Rui put into arranging a meeting with one of her husband's paternal cousins, Misaki reluctantly agrees to an outing with him. Doubting that he'll allow her as much freedom as Madara allows Naruto, she attempts to dissuade Satori with an abrupt ultimatum as they leisurely walk through a garden, "I'll bear your children if you agree to train me."

Misaki knows that she'll never be on Naruto's level of combat, but she would like to be of decent help should the matriarch ever need it. She wants to be someone Naruto can rely on. High status or not, if Satori won't allow her that, Misaki won't have him.

He looks thoughtful for a moment. The Uchiha collar obscures his mouth, but his eyebrows move upward slightly. To Misaki's shock, he easily agrees to her terms, "Deal."

They're married within the year, but he begins training her long before then. While her Sharingan eases the learning curve, the difference in dexterity between Misaki and the average shinobi remains wide. A patient teacher, Satori candidly tells her that she may never fully close the gap, but she may come close. It's not ideal, but it might be good enough to be of some assistance to Naruto.

When Satori leaves for a long mission, Misaki does her best to restrain her excitement when she finally asks Naruto to train with her. She hadn't wanted to trouble her with a significant difference in skill before, but she has confidence that she'll at least surprise the matriarch.

Naruto gapes before eagerly tugging her toward the training grounds. She pulls her punches at first, but she happily restrains herself less and less as Misaki demonstrates that she can handle it. The scrapes and bruises she gets from their spar feel like badges of honor as Naruto praises her and invites, "Let's do this again sometime!"

Dusting herself off, Misaki stands and joyfully replies, "It would be an honor, Naruto-sama."

~xXx~

Taking a deep breath, Misaki holds scissors in her right hand and a lock of dark hair between the blades with her left. She closes her eyes and clamps the handles together.

_Snip._

Slowly blinking one eye open and then the other, she looks at her reflection in the mirror. She doesn't look all that different, but she has only just begun. Some of the cut strands dangle from her left hand, but most have fallen to the floor. Dropping them to join the others, she selects another inky lock and lines it up with the blades.

_Snip._

Rui won't be pleased with what she's doing. It goes against everything they were told about what makes a woman beautiful and their duty to preserve that beauty. Regardless, there's no going back now.

_Snip._

Misaki continues until her waist-length hair has been razed to just below her chin. She's actually quite proud of how evenly she cut it. Her head feels lighter. 

Yes, this will be much more convenient.

~xXx~

When Misaki walks into the house her sister shares with Izuna and their son, Rui gasps. Naruto, who apparently arrived first, also gasps. However, their reactions take quite different paths. Rui shrieks about how Misaki ruined her hair, but Naruto praises her and tells her she looks great. Interrupting Misaki as she thanks Naruto for the compliments, Rui reproaches, "What will Satori-kun think?"

Without skipping a beat, Misaki primly reports, "Satori-san quite liked it. He said it suited me."

"He should! You look so cute," Naruto gushes and invitingly pats the floor pillow next to her. Across the table, Rui shakes her head in disapproval, but says nothing more. She knows that she's outnumbered and the battle is lost.

Misaki finds that she quite likes winning as she takes the seat next to Naruto.

~xXx~

Naruto's third pregnancy overlaps with Misaki's first enough that Mito jokes that they planned it that way. Despite the unbelievably convenient coincidence, they swear that it wasn't. That said, it's quite nice to have someone to commiserate with during a particularly hellish nine months. Misaki's daughter, Sakiko, is born just a few months before Akane, but she's relieved that they'll be in the same grade when they start school. She hopes they'll be as good of friends as she and Naruto are.

If Satori is displeased with a daughter, he is much better at hiding it than Madara was the first two times. When asked, Misaki's husband says that he is happy to have a child at all. It's just one of the many reasons she has grown to love him.

~xXx~

Naruto never really stops breaking tradition and Misaki is infinitely grateful that she is allowed to bear witness. Her positive influence on Madara ushers in clan reforms left and right. Of course, the fact that Naruto has only bore him daughters may have something to do with his newfound leniency.

As their daughters grow, Madara and Naruto begin training them. Once more, the elders start to make a fuss because Madara is training them to be _soldiers,_ not _kunoichi._ Naturally, he silences any dissent with a threatening question, "You would presume to tell _my_ children what they can and can't do?"

After how many losses he has suffered, it comes as no surprise that he wants his children to be able to protect themselves. Honestly, Misaki couldn't agree more. During wartime, she hadn't wanted to have children. She would have been sure to outlive them with the mediocre training their modest status would have afforded them if she hadn't married well. Now that Naruto has raised the standard for training and changed the perception of a kunoichi, Misaki knows Sakiko will be given equal opportunities and wants her to take advantage of them.

Though the older generations turn up their noses, everyone else follows the main family's example and begins to train their children without discrimination. Progress feels fantastic as Sakiko outperforms the boys in her academy class and walks with her head held high.

~xXx~

Misaki and Naruto settle onto their favorite stools at Ichiraku Ramen. By now, it's more out of habit than anything that Kenta takes their orders. They chat about the usual happenings until their respective bowls are set down in front of them. Misaki remains none the wiser that this isn't one of their usual lunch dates until Naruto casually asks seconds before inhaling a mouthful of noodles, "Will you be my assistant?"

A few days ago, Naruto told her in an excited stage-whisper that Hashirama selected her for the next hokage. With this in mind, Misaki believes she misheard and asks, "Pardon?"

Naruto quirks an eyebrow and swallows a spoonful of broth before patiently repeating, "I said, 'Will you be my assistant?'"

Totally unprepared, Misaki sets aside her spoon before it plunks into the broth and makes a mess of her new shirt. She tries and fails to even out her tone, "M-me?"

Naruto blithely confirms, "Yeah, you! You've always been there for me and I trust your judgement, ya know!"

Oh.

This is so much more responsibility than Misaki could have ever hoped to be entrusted with in her lifetime. However, she wants Naruto to be sure she's making the right decision, so she forces herself to ask, "Aren't there better choices?"

A bit of disappointment bleeds into Naruto's voice as she replies, "You're my first choice, but if you don't wanna—"

"Please, let me be your assistant, Hokage-sama," interrupts Misaki. If some of her eagerness shines through in her voice, so be it.

Naruto throws back her head and groans good-naturedly, "Aw! Just when I finally got you to call me 'Naruto-san!' Am I gonna have to getcha to stop that again?!"

Misaki laughs, "I'm afraid it will be much harder this time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand Naruto adds yet another Uchiha to her harem. Is Misaki a little gay for Naruto? Quite possibly, but I’ll leave that open to interpretation.


	7. Public Office

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tell Me Why  
> Desk Jobs are Good Jobs  
> Threads  
> Summons

_**~Tell Me Why~** _

Shortly after Naruto floats out of his office on cloud nine, a distinctively terse set of knocks announces his next visitor. Mentally bracing himself, Hashirama calls out, "Come in!"

His brother swiftly enters and closes the door behind him. He pulls up a chair in front of Hashirama's desk and stiffly sits down. Doing little to disguise his feelings of betrayal, Tobirama looks him dead in the eye and demands, "Why did you select Uchiha Naruto to succeed you as hokage?"

Despite the even tone in which the question was asked, Hashirama hears the unsaid _instead of me._ He hems and haws until finally admitting, "Well...she's...more popular…"

He knows he phrased his reasoning poorly when Tobirama's face contorts in incredulous anger. His brother hisses, "Becoming hokage isn't a _popularity contest."_

Hashirama reluctantly argues, "It kind of is, though…"

Exhaling through his nose to calm down, Tobirama offers him a chance to explain his logic, " _How?"_

"Well...people prefer to follow charismatic leaders. They're more likely to rally behind people they like, too." When Tobirama remains unconvinced, Hashirama continues with a sigh, "Remember when the village nearly fell apart—"

" _Because_ of her."

" _For_ her," Hashirama corrects. "After Naruto banded the women together, they came to her aid at their own expense. They didn't have to and Naruto didn't ask them to. They _chose_ to support her despite the discovery that she has a bijū sealed within her. It takes an astronomical amount of charisma for people to still want you around after they see what you're truly capable of."

Loathed as Tobirama is to admit it, his brother has a point. Though he would have done everything in his power to prevent Madara becoming hokage, Hashirama was selected for the position over the Uchiha because of his strength _and_ friendly disposition. With a profound sigh, Tobirama relaxes his posture and asks honestly, "You really think she'll be good for the village?"

Once again, Hashirama hears the unspoken _better than me?_ Difficult as it is to tell his precious brother that he chose someone over him, he doesn't regret it. Well-meaning as Tobirama is, Hashirama knows that his prejudice toward the Uchiha would influence his decisions and could poison the very foundation of Konoha. Naruto, however, has already proven that she wants the best for _everyone._ With a heavy heart, he firmly states, "I do."

"I see," says Tobirama in a flat tone. He stands and moves his chair back to its original position. The door clicks shut behind him with no extra force, but Hashirama knows that his brother is seething. It will be a long time until he forgives him for this, but Naruto will most certainly prove to be the correct decision. Eventually, Tobirama will see that.

_**~Desk Jobs are Good Jobs~** _

Sitting across their living room table from him, Naruto rests an arm on it and begins this impromptu meeting she called, "So, lemme get this straight: you don't wanna be hokage? _At all?"_

"That is correct," Madara confirms for what seems like the fortieth time while restraining the urge to tell her to get her elbow off the table. He takes a sip of his tea to distract himself. Even if he wanted to be hokage, it's a little late for him to say anything now. For reasons beyond his comprehension, Naruto still can't believe that he has no interest in the position, though.

Her brow wrinkles in obvious disbelief and confusion as she asks, "Why not?"

"You want to be hokage, so there's no need," he replies easily.

"Whaddya mean?"

Truth be told, there had been a time when Madara had considered the position. It had been created when the daimyō got frustrated with having to relay his message to a different council member every time he contacted Konoha and demanded they select a village leader to act as a representative. Unfortunately, this occurred during Naruto's four-month disappearance before they began dating. Hashirama won the election with a landslide victory, but he was the only member of the village council that voted for Madara.

Displeased as he had been at the time, he let it slide with a few charred trees and the belief that Hashirama wouldn't put the Uchiha at a disadvantage. Once Naruto returned and told him how that trust panned out in her timeline, Madara began to consider the position again. However, the knowledge that becoming hokage is his wife's childhood dream, and the significant progress she has made with entrenching the Uchiha too deeply into Konoha's infrastructure for them to be easily cast aside, have made him reconsider. Not only does she _want_ to do it, but she has proven multiple times that she _can._

Of course, he also likes the thought of her staying in Konoha and working in a well-protected office rather than engaging in reckless shenanigans across the continent under the guise of "missions." Naturally, he omits this benefit from his explanation, "I know you have the clan's best interests at heart, so I see no reason to interfere."

Her eyes narrow in suspicion, but she seems to finally accept his answer. With great reluctance, she relents, "Okay…"

_**~Threads~** _

Hashirama insists that they have a mini ceremony the day before Naruto's inauguration. He and Tobirama turn toward Madara and Naruto as they enter the hokage's office. The folded cloth tucked under Madara's arm catches his eye, but Naruto buzzing with excitement maintains his interest. Hashirama laughs, "If you don't stand still, I can't give you the hokage's robes!"

Still a bit jittery, Naruto silently comes to a halt in front of him. Madara must have told her to be professional, but a wide grin fights to emerge from underneath her best attempt at a stoic expression. He jokingly asks, "Do you solemnly swear to uphold the ideals of Konohagakure above all else?"

A very jerky nod serves as her reply.

"Do you swear to embody the Will of Fire?'

An extremely jerky nod.

Just to tease her, he tacks on, "Forever and ever?"

This time, impatient grabby hands accompany her nod. With a snort, Hashirama holds out the robes he has donned for over a decade. "I now pronounce you the second hokage—"

Fed up with his antics, Naruto snatches the hat and places it atop her head. An overjoyed squeal breaks free from her mouth as she spins in a circle. Utterly abandoning the rest of the ceremonial robes, she zips up to Madara's side. Elated beyond words, she emphatically shakes his sleeve and points at her new headwear. Madara's eyes crinkle as he chuckles, "It suits you."

Reluctant to interrupt but a bit confused, Hashirama gestures to the pile of robes in his hands and asks, "What about these?"

After a few deep breaths to calm down, Naruto turns back to Hashirama and bluntly asks, "Do I have to wear 'em?"

Hashirama freezes. Tobirama blanches. Madara struggles to hold in a laugh. Unaware that the hokage's robes were Hashirama's personal selection, Naruto waits for an answer to her question. Eventually, the first hokage manages to form a response, "What's wrong with them...?"

Completely missing Hashirama's devastation in her excitement, "Nothin. I just have something else in mind, ya know?"

Taking his cue, Madara whips out the fabric folded underneath his arm with a flourish. A long, white haori with red flames along the trim flairs out. Naruto steps in front of Madara and he places it atop her shoulders. Sticking her arms into the short sleeves, she continues, "I want the hat, but I feel like this is more my style."

Swiping her hair out of the way and turning her back to Hashirama and Tobirama, Naruto reveals her custom hokage haori. It even has the characters for "Nidaime Hokage" stitched into it. She looks over her shoulder and says, "See?! Isn't this so much cooler?!"

Tobirama merely harrumphs, but Hashirama wilts. Clutching his robes to his chest protectively, he says in a small voice, " I guess…"

Confused, Naruto turns to Madara and asks, "Did I say somethin' wrong?"

He assures with a hint of a smirk, "Nothing at all."

_**~Summons~** _

When a messenger arrives at the front door on his day off, Madara is admittedly quite slow to answer. Unfortunately, the messenger hasn't given up by the time he drags himself to the door and slides it open. A chūnin bows to him before informing, "The hokage requests your presence immediately, Madara-sama."

With a bow in farewell, the messenger vacates his porch. Madara's brow wrinkles as he wonders what is urgent enough that Naruto couldn't wait until she got home, but doesn't warrant an emergency council meeting. Uncertain of what to expect, he simply slips his sandals on and heads over to his wife's office.

Upon his arrival, Misaki bows her head and gestures to the room beside her desk. She says, "Please, go right in, Madara-sama. Hokage-sama has been expecting you."

Nodding his assent, he passes by her and turns the doorknob. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Misaki picking up a bento. In the few seconds it takes him to enter, she hastily walks away from her desk and out into the hallway. Suspicious, Madara turns around to ask Naruto what that was about—only to see her eyes boring into him.

Elbows rested on her desk and her chin resting atop her palms, she greets him with a deceptively innocent smile, "Hey there, sweet cheeks!"

His eyes narrow at the...nickname. She unsubtly hints what she wants to happen with a wiggle of her eyebrows and an unnecessary announcement, "I'm on lunch break right now, ya know."

Madara pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers and sighs. While he is happy for her, abusing her new rank to call him to her office for sexual gratification is in bad taste; not to mention the fact that he feels vaguely like a cheap whore. "Naruto—"

"Hokage-sama," she corrects with a smirk. The trademark hat hanging off the top corner of her chair mocks him.

This is his fault for not realizing sooner that when Naruto became hokage, she also became his _boss._ While this is the first time she has lorded it over him, he highly doubts it will be the last. Madara hisses through grit teeth, "If you don't mind, _Hokage-sama,_ I'll be taking my leave now."

Her cheeks puff out in a pout. She points to a conspicuous couch that most certainly was not there during Hashirama's term as hokage, and wheedles, "Don'tcha wanna help me break in my new couch? I saved up my allowance for months just to buy it!"

Intimately familiar with his dislike of foreign furniture, Naruto bought a piece for the one place that he can't stop her from decorating any way she wishes. However, that doesn't mean he won't comment on it. Madara snidely remarks, "It's unprofessional for the hokage to have a _couch_ in their office."

"Says who?"

"Everyone."

Her lower lip juts out as she retorts, "I feel like you make a lotta these rules up."

If she wasn't so stubborn, she might have picked up a few social etiquette tips by now instead of railing against them with everything she's got. He sighs, "Why do you even need a couch in here?"

"For relaxing breaks...and _entertainin'_ guests," answers Naruto with a pointed look at him.

"Both of which are possible at _home,"_ Madara insists.

"Not with this view," she argues while gesturing to the scenic view of Konoha out the window behind her. "'Sides, the kids won't walk in on us here."

The number of close calls they have had recently is the only reason Madara starts to consider Naruto's invitation. Still, he mentions, "Yes, but it could be infinitely worse if it was one of our coworkers instead."

"They won't 'cuz Misaki-chan told me my afternoon meetings got cancelled."

Thoughtfully, Madara asks, "And Misaki?"

"I told her to close down the office while she takes two lunch breaks back-to-back," she says as a wicked grin begins to stretch across her face.

"I suppose I could keep you company for a while," he hums.

Immediately, Naruto abandons her desk chair and jumps onto her couch. Though he sighs when she eagerly pats the spot next to her, Madara steps around a pile of documents and complies.

Before he has even fully sunken into the admittedly comfortable upholstery, Naruto's hand is in his lap. Turning towards her, he grabs the back of her neck and pulls her into a kiss while unzipping her jacket. Unfortunately, it's impossible to divest her of it without removing her hokage haori, which he suddenly wants her to keep on very much.

Settling for unzipping her jacket just enough to reveal her bra, Madara frees her breasts out from under it and moves on to removing her pants. A particularly deft stroke courtesy of the hand already down his, forces a gasp from his lips and spurs him to slip his fingers underneath Naruto's underwear to return the favor. Her legs fall open as he slips a finger between her wet folds and she roughly palms his glans in response.

Just as he's about to release, Naruto breaks their lip lock. She removes his hand from her underwear and stands to shove her bottom layers the rest of the way down. Kicking them away, she settles in between his legs with her back to him and lewdly spreads herself open. Curious to see where she's going with this, he frees his dick from his pants and guides her down onto it.

Bracing herself with a hand on each of Madara's knees, Naruto begins riding him at her usual aggressive pace. However, this position and the bun she has her hair tied into give him full view of her hokage haori. The characters for 'Nidaime Hokage' move up and down each time she impales herself on him. Madara fully appreciates Saori's handiwork as he enthusiastically meets Naruto's thrusts. The only thing that could possibly make this better is if there were a mirror across the room, so he could see Naruto's face in the throws of ecstasy.

Soon enough, her muscles clench around him and her back arcs while sliding up his shaft. He feels that he isn't much farther behind, but he is faced with a decision: pull the rest of the way out and dirty the hokage's robes, or bury himself inside her and release his seed as usual. Satisfying as the former would be, he narrowly decides against it and pulls Naruto off her shaky legs down onto him. Madara paints her insides and pulls her back with him when he sags into the plush sofa.

As they catch their breath, reality assaults Madara. Though he has contained the mess, there will undoubtedly be some leftover residue of unmentionable fluids when they move off of the couch. He may not have left his mark on Naruto's back, but the evidence will be clear for all the hokage's visitors to see. He firmly states into her ear, "You have to get rid of this couch, now."

Naturally, Naruto vehemently disagrees, "No way! You liked it just a second ago, so what's with this wishy-washiness?!"

"A couch in the hokage's office is bad enough, but a _suspiciously stained_ couch is unacceptable. Get rid of it," he insists.

"There won't be any stains, ya know. I spared no expense," scoffs his wife with a smack to the cushion beside them. "You see this right here? The furniture guy said that's leather! Super smooth and super easy to clean!"

To prove her point, she leans out of his loose embrace and vacates his lap. Fluid leaks from in between her legs and Madara jumps to hold the white haori away before it gets smeared. Luckily, her desk is only a few steps away, so he doesn't have to stretch far. Naruto retrieves a spray bottle and rag before motioning for him to move over. Her haori still in his grip, he carefully scoots out of her way.

With a single spray of cleaner and a swipe with a rag, the only evidence that they were even using the couch remaining is Madara's imprint in the cushion. His eyes narrow in suspicion and she huffs, "You can do a smell test if ya want."

"I'll pass," sniffs Madara. As if he would do something so undignified.

Naruto shrugs and walks back to her desk to store her cleaning supplies, "Suit yourself. Either way, I'm not gettin' rid of it."

"Do as you like, but this is the last time I will be using it or visiting your office for inappropriate activities," he asserts.

She hums nonchalantly, "Sure, sure. Did I mention that they threw in a leather office chair for half-off? They didn't have any in stock when I ordered the couch, but it'll be here next week."

A brief fantasy of her riding him while he sits in the hokage's chair dances across his mind, but Madara manages to sound bored as he replies, "How fortunate for you."

"I might even wear my hat the next time you come for a _visit,"_ Naruto drawls deviously.

Damn her.


	8. Best-Laid Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Outlier  
> Funny How Things Work Out, Isn't It?

_**~Outlier~** _

_Come with me to the capital_ , she said. _It'll be like a vacation for just the two of us,_ she said. Madara scoffs and shifts in the overstuffed chair he has been sitting in for the past hour while waiting for Naruto to return from an _emergency meeting_ with _Mitsuhiro._

Madara knows his wife is beautiful. He often admires her just because he can. Naturally, her superlative looks, rare features, and curves draw a lot of attention; sometimes of the perverse variety. Though she never lets him forget that she loves him just as much as he does her, he can't help a lingering anxiety that someone might steal her away. Her oblivious nature tends to exhaust the half-hearted admirers, and Madara always handles the more persistent ones...or he did until he encountered someone that he couldn't threaten or scare away.

The daimyō has never bothered to hide his interest in Naruto. At first, Madara had thought that the man was just a fiend with a fetish for pregnant women, because he met Naruto while she was round with their first child. However, the assumption was summarily disproven when she was invited to the capital long after her stomach had gone flat for the third time to celebrate her inauguration as the second hokage.

The capital's legendary extravagance turned out to be understated when they first arrived at the gates of a city bright enough to light up the night. The sight mesmerized Naruto and a few members of the hokage's guard, but Madara focused on the carriage specially prepared to tote Naruto to the daimyō's personal residence. Reasoning that someone of her status warranted such a reception, he let it go. However, the overly familiar way the daimyō greeted his wife when she arrived and the lavish banquet he held in her honor rubbed Madara the wrong way. The final straw was the proximity of her prepared lodgings to the daimyō's sleeping chambers.

It may have been abusing his (self-appointed) temporary position as the head of the hokage's guard, but Madara deemed the luxurious room a security risk and demanded she remain in the visiting dignitaries' quarters. Naruto complained about the obvious downgrade, but she thankfully listened to him when he listed off every possible danger and a couple hypothetical situations. The daimyō looked less than pleased with Madara's interference, but he acquiesced easily enough. When no other blatant passes at Naruto were made for the duration of their stay in the capital, Madara thought he was in the clear.

It turned out to be too soon to relax.

Seemingly intent on cuckolding him, the wealthy fool retaliated by inviting Naruto to his residence frequently. Within a year, the second hokage had visited the daimyō nearly twice as many times as the first had throughout his entire term. Assuming his plan was to eventually catch Naruto at a time when he wasn't around to intervene, Madara made sure to attend as many summons as possible and task Misaki with running interference when necessary. Unfortunately, this has only made the daimyō more...creative.

This time, he seems to be working some sort of psychological angle to encourage Naruto to join his harem if the noticeable increase in buxom, blonde servants is any indication. Madara barks a laugh at the memory of her asking each of them if they were related to anyone named Namikaze. Rage inducing as it is for the daimyō to use his superior rank to monopolize Naruto's attention, his grandiose failures amuse Madara.

"Whatcha laughin' at?"

Turning toward the sound of Naruto's voice as she slides the door to their luxury suite closed, Madara notices an ornately printed aquamarine kimono folded over her arm. It would suit her. He drums his fingers on his knee and asks a question of his own in an even tone, "Another gift from Mitsuhiro?"

"Yeah, he asked me to wear it at the meeting during dinner," she answers before disappearing into their bedroom. Madara internally rages at the daimyō's audacious request and her blind acceptance until he notices the opportunity that just landed in his lap.

The fool may have tried to relocate Madara to separate lodgings and successfully excluded him from the "business" meetings on the flimsy excuse of confidentiality, but he made a critical error in leaving Naruto enough time to return to their room in between his pathetic attempts to woo her. Rising from his deceptively relaxed recline on one of the many fanciful pieces of furniture in the suite's living room, Madara follows in after her.

Just as Naruto exits the walk-in closet to ask him something, he closes the distance between them and captures her in an embrace. He cuts off her startled gasp and silences any protests with a deep kiss. Rolling his tongue over hers to keep her distracted, he backs her up until they reach the edge of the bed and coaxes her down onto it.

He caught her in the middle of changing, so he only has to move the thin material of her underwear aside before his hand caresses the sensitive skin at the apex of her thighs. A shiver travels up her spine as his fingers ghost around the area she wants him to touch the most. Eventually, Naruto turns her face away from him and miserably forces out the words, "I have a meeting soon…"

Without moving from his position above her, Madara takes advantage of how much she likes his voice and posits directly into her ear, "You have some time before, don't you?"

The hands clutching the fabric of his shirt clench and her blush darkens. Her eyes dart toward the clock and she hesitates. He patiently waits for her answer and she rewards him. Dissatisfaction with how little time they have evident in her tone, Naruto looks him in the eye and stipulates, "Just once, okay?"

"Of course," Madara lies through his teeth. He hooks his fingers underneath her underwear, and she raises her hips to let him pull them down her legs. Just as soon as he has tossed them aside, insistent hands tug the hem of his shirt up. Pulling it the rest of the way over his head, it joins her underwear in the growing pile of clothes. Her hands skim over his abs appreciatively before pulling the waistband of his pants down. Once he has unclasped her bra, he rolls onto his back to remove his pants while she does the same with her last scrap of clothing. Only his fundoshi remains, but he gets off the bed before Naruto can make a grab for it.

Confused, she sits up as he squats beside the bed and grabs her hips. Madara drags her toward him and settles her legs over his shoulders. Her thighs twitch as the air from one of his exhales fans across her opening. Spreading her folds apart with his pointer and middle finger, he licks a stripe in between them. The thighs on either side of his head quiver with the desire to pull his face closer. Still peeved by Naruto's ignorance of another man's advances, he teases her with cursory licks until a particularly satisfying whine reaches his ears.

Madara circles her clit with his tongue before sucking it into his mouth. His teeth gently graze it enough that Naruto throws her head back and keens. When her back starts to arc, he moves lower and dips his tongue inside her. A noise of frustration curls his lips into a smirk.

As much as Naruto enjoys the way he flicks his tongue, it doesn't reach deep enough for her liking. At her wit's end, she releases her death grip on the bed sheets and threads her fingers into Madara's hair. He stubbornly remains in place for the first few tugs, but he complies when she switches to pushing his head away.

Just when he has risen high enough for Naruto to pull him toward her, a knock at the front door draws his attention away. He leans out of her range and grabs his pants. She expected a frustrated growl from him at the interruption, but he has a perplexingly pleased grin on his face as he pulls his pants up and walks back out into the living room.

Madara slides the door open and finds one of the daimyō's latest hires. Her face colors as she takes in his state of dress and flushed skin. A discreet glance below his waistline doesn't escape his notice, either. For all of their haughtiness, it would appear that the citizens of the capital are still just humans with needs and wants. With a very eager Naruto waiting on his return, Madara clears his throat to catch her attention and raises an eyebrow in a silent demand for her to state her business.

The girl jumps and apologizes, "My apologies! Mitsuhiro-sama would like to know what kind of alcohol Hokage-sama would prefer to have with her dinner tonight—"

Angered once more by the daimyō's temerity, Madara interrupts, "Tell _Mitsuhiro-sama_ that she has decided to have dinner in her room, with _me."_

"But—"

His piece said, he slams the door shut and returns to the bedroom. The arousal tenting in his pants hardens further at the sight of Naruto furiously fingering herself. She whines, "Hurry u~p!"

"With pleasure," Madara responds as he hastily pulls down his pants and undoes his fundoshi. She pulls her dripping fingers away and beckons him closer. With a clear view of just how wet she is, he lines up with her opening and buries himself inside her to the hilt in a single thrust.

An intoxicating squeeze welcomes him back as he hooks her knees over his elbows. Madara will always prefer traditional furniture to foreign imports, but he acknowledges the benefit of having Naruto's hips on nearly the same level as his own due to the height of the bed. With less energy consumed holding her hips up to his, he can focus on repeatedly hammering her weak spots.

Seemingly forgetting where they are, Naruto makes no effort to smother her moans. Good. He hopes the daimyō hears her cries; cries that only Madara has drawn and will ever draw out of her.

Soon enough, she tightens around him and nearly drags him over the edge with her. Madara stubbornly digs heels in just before the drop and pulls out with a ragged breath. He doesn't have the luxury of letting his guard down so soon. As was expected, Naruto's breathing evens out inhumanly quick and she starts to pull away with palpable reluctance. With a firm grip on her leg, Madara flips her over onto stomach and positions himself just outside her opening. He leans down over her and states, "We're not done."

"The meeting—"

He nudges the tip inside her and reminds, "You said 'once.' _I_ haven't finished yet."

"But—"

Pumping his hips the slightest bit, Madara cajoles, "Besides, are you actually satisfied with _just_ that?"

Self-restraint has never been her strong suit and today is not the day she tries to change that. Pushing her hips back and him deeper inside, her voice trembles as she ineffectively warns him with her cheek pressed against the bedspread, "Ya better be quick or I won't have enough time to bathe, ya know!"

Madara chuckles. Naruto is too earnest for her own good.

He pulls out until just the tip connects them before slamming back inside. A sudden muffled inhale confirms that he struck the spot that reduces Naruto to a sobbing mess. Angling himself for optimum efficiency, he begins a rough pace that ruthlessly assaults it. Within minutes, her muscles clench around him again and he has to call upon reserves of restraint he didn't know he had to keep from releasing.

Knowing that he won't last a third time, Madara pulls her back flush against his front and squeezes her breasts. If he tires her out enough, she might fall asleep and miss the meeting entirely. With that in mind, he resumes his grueling pace while pinching her nipple with one hand and gripping her hip with the other. With nowhere else to grab as she kneels on the bed, she latches onto his wrists and tightens her grip as her back arcs and her muscles contract. This time, he allows himself sweet release and drowns her womb.

Spent, they fall forward onto the bed. Shortly before sleep takes him, Madara rolls them onto their sides. A distant sense of panic flares up when Naruto wriggles in his hold, but it turns out to be a false alarm and she merely readjusts her position before joining him for a nap.

~xXx~

When Naruto wakes, the first thought she has is that if she didn't love Madara so much, she'd kill him.

He may not consider himself a cuddler, but it takes a substantial amount of time for Naruto to wriggle out of his hold and disconnect them without waking him. Even then, she has to substitute a pillow for her in between his empty arms when his face involuntarily contorts in dissatisfaction.

A quick glance at that clock reveals she shouldn't have even bothered. Long after her meeting with Mitsuhiro was supposed to start, she considers smacking her husband awake in retaliation. Only now does she realize that he intended for this to happen. Madara has never liked Mitsuhiro, so this must have been some kind of revenge. That's no reason to ruin her perfect attendance, though.

Heaving a sigh, Naruto slides off the bed and begins the hunt for her birth control pills. She checks her bag and the several piles the original contents have been scattered into, but finds nothing. She checks Madara's scarily neat bag, too, but still nothing. Thinking there's no possible way she could have forgotten something so important, Naruto resolves to look again in the morning and crawls back into bed.

The next morning, she forgets about her search completely as she alternates between apologizing to Mitsuhiro for missing their meeting and trying to calm Madara down after the daimyō called him "Madara-kun."

~xXx~

A few weeks after they return home from their "vacation," Madara wakes to the sound of vomiting in the upstairs bathroom. None of the girls mentioned feeling nauseous the night before and upon investigation, he finds Naruto bent over the toilet. Noticing his presence, she lifts her head up and groans, "You did this to me. Again."

Trying to keep the grin off his face, he holds her hair back as she empties the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl. Though he had been reluctant to waste money on it when Naruto first saw it in a capital shop and even less excited to remodel the house for it, Madara mentally notes the convenience of the invention as he begins considering baby names.

~xXx~

Naruto's fourth pregnancy is quite easy—for Madara. Without any worry that Naruto will recklessly risk the baby's life by going on missions, he is all too happy to see to her every need. Food craving in the middle of the night? Done. Massage? Absolutely. Sex at inopportune times? Nothing out of the norm, honestly.

Excited as their daughters are to get another sister, they are equally flabbergasted to see their normally stoic father openly smiling so much. Madara just can't help it. As much as raising children is difficult, he grew up with a big family and if they just have one more after this one, the family will be seven strong like they should be; like his first family was.

When the delivery date finally arrives, he's so eager that he gets to the hospital before Naruto. By the time she walks down from her office, he has everything set up to his standards and the hospital staff on their toes. Irritable after yet another comment from Tobirama that she should step down as hokage and focus on birthing children, Naruto shoos him out into the hallway to wait.

Unlike all the other times, labor drags on for quite a while. Once the girls finish school for the day, they come to the hospital and join him on his bench. They fantasize about all the things they're going to teach their new little sister and Madara allows them to stay until dinner time, but he sends them home when the doctor reports that it will be a while yet. After some grumbling from Katsumi, he promises to wake them up when he and Naruto bring home the baby.

Just as the sun peeks over the horizon, the doctor finally calls Madara into the delivery room to meet his child. However, the doctor's announcement doesn't immediately register. Chalking it up to a lack of sleep and his familiarity with hearing the opposite, he asks the doctor to repeat what he said. Confused, the man repeats, "It's a boy?"

He dares to hope he didn't mishear twice. Once more, he demands, "Again."

Apparently not exhausted enough to sleep yet, Naruto rolls her eyes and sighs. Madara pays her no mind as he looks to the doctor for confirmation. The physician's brow wrinkles, but he patiently repeats, "It's a boy."

The words he has been waiting so long to hear hit him just right the third time around. The nurses break into a cold sweat under the weight of Madara's gaze as they clean and swaddle his _son._ They place the bundle in his arms and back away hastily. If a tear slides down his cheek, he doesn't bother to wipe it away as a wrinkled, red face cries out with strong, healthy lungs.

_**~Funny How Things Work Out, Isn't It?~** _

Madara swears his entire family to secrecy for the month immediately after Daiki's birth. There are a couple close calls with Naruto and Katsumi nearly spilling the beans, but he successfully hides the gender of the latest addition to the Uchiha main family until his son's immune system is developed enough for his debut.

After a decade of being teased for only fathering girls, Madara's excited knocks on the front door of the Senju main house are a bit more forceful than necessary. Mito answers the door and blinks in surprise. Her eyes wander down to the baby sling strapped to his chest before giving him a knowing look. A nearly imperceptible amused smile on her face, the Senju matriarch steps aside to allow him entry and calls out into the house, "Dear, Madara-sama is here to see you!"

"Madara?! I'm in the living room," Hashirama calls back. Extremely familiar with the layout of the house by now, Madara needs no guidance and makes his way to his friend's location. Surprisingly, Mito doesn't follow after him, but that's fine. She seemed to immediately understand his purpose for being here, anyway. While it's concerning how well she seems to know him, he's too preoccupied with what's about to happen to care.

Roughly sliding the door to the living room open, Madara proudly announces, "Behold, my son, Hashirama!"

"O~h, is that why you kept it a secret? Let me see him," comes Hashirama's disappointingly calm response to Madara's dramatic reveal. His triumphant smirk falls off his face. Restraining the urge to pout like his wife, he complies with Hashirama's beckoning wave. Taking great care not to jostle Daiki, Madara sits on the floor pillow closest to his friend and lifts his son out of the sling.

Far more deftly than the first time he held Katsumi, Hashirama accepts Daiki and adequately supports the infant's head while hefting him into his arms. Daiki's forehead wrinkles at having his snoozing interrupted by a strange man, but he thankfully doesn't wail. After a good look at the boy, Hashirama congratulates the father and knowingly comments, "You must be happy that he looks like you."

Indeed, it's a relief that his son has the trademark inky black hair and eyes of the Uchiha. When Akane was younger, an insulting number of kidnapping rumors cropped up due to her scarlet locks, but people quickly learned better when her personality developed. Between a sharp tongue, a "chilling" resemblance in her expressions, and a healthy amount of pride in her Uchiha heritage, most think of her as "Madara II." Now, anyone that dares to remark on her origins is summarily destroyed. Verbally. Usually.

Relieved that he won't have to deal with such nonsense again, Madara nods. Shifting Daiki in his arms a bit, Hashirama casually posits, "What are the odds?"

Raising an eyebrow, Madara asks, "Odds?"

With no ill-intent whatsoever, Hashirama says, "I have **three sons** and a daughter. Now, you have **three daughters** and a son! Funny how things work out, isn't it?"

~xXx~

Naruto leans against the wall closest to the entryway of their front door. She asks in a bored tone, "Back from gloating already?"

Fists clenched tightly, Madara rests them and his forehead against the very same wall. He growls, "I'll never forget this, Hashiramaaaaaa."

"Sounds like you had fun," Naruto unsympathetically snarks as Katsumi passes by her.

Paying no heed to her dad's turmoil, she greets him before scooping her little brother out of the baby sling and carrying him away. He hears her coo from down the hall, "Welcome home, Daiki! Did you miss Onee-chan? You did, didn't you?!"

Quick steps approach the entryway. Akane rounds the corner with a bright smile on her face and an enthusiastic welcome on the tip of her tongue. Taking in her father's anguished posture, she exclaims, "What's wrong, Father?!"

"He's fine. He's just sulking, ya know," Naruto explains before leaning away from the wall. She starts walking in Katsumi's direction before mercilessly adding, "He'll _get over it_ soon."

Madara heaves a sigh and straightens his posture. Naruto has already made it clear that Daiki will be their last, so Hashirama has won this round. However, the next round begins with grandchildren and he won't lose again. His determination to utterly dominate Hashirama fades to the back of his mind as a tug on his sleeve draws his attention downward.

Worry evident in her expression, Akane hesitantly asks, "Do you want to train with me?"

She leans into his hand as he pats her head and warmly replies, "I'd like that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone that commented about them having a son in the past and didn't get a response: Daiki has been in my outline since the very beginning and y'all have _no idea_ how hard it was not to let the cat out of the bag early in a comment reply.
> 
> Also, if you feel so inclined, I cobbled together some MadaNaru ert and posted it for your viewing pleasure [here.](https://trashgoblinsharts.tumblr.com/tagged/ert)
> 
> There isn't much now, but I have many ideas and an insane need to punish myself by only using my jalopy of a computer and its trackpad to make them. Once I have the proper tools, I'll start drawing instead of frankenstein-splicing shit together.


	9. Inheritance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lush Valley  
> A Day Out on the Town  
> Taking Out the Trash  
> Succession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right! Now that we've got all the players, here are their names, kanji, and meanings!
> 
> 勝実 (Katsumi): truth in victory/victorious truth
> 
> 有利子 (Yuriko): advantageous child
> 
> 朱峰 (Akane): vermillion summit
> 
> 大暉 (Daiki): great radiance (sorta like a shining star, if ya catch my drift)
> 
> Ya seein' a pattern?

_**~Lush Valley~** _

Just as Daiki is finishing up his meal, Naruto feels someone's gaze boring into her. Opening her eyes and turning her head toward the doorway of the living room, she finds the only other person in the house unabashedly staring at her. Well, her chest.

Gently leaning out of her relaxed recline against the wall so she doesn't disrupt Daiki's suckling, she asks his father in an amused tone, "How was lunch with Izuna?"

His eyes briefly dart up to her face before wandering lower once more. Clearly distracted, Madara trails off, "Fine...I brought..food…"

The bag in his grasp catches her attention. From the looks of it, he brought back a doggy bag for her. Naruto snorts and uses her free arm to gesture toward the kitchen, "Wanna put that in the fridge for me, then?"

With palpable reluctance, he takes a step toward the kitchen. Then, another. Finally, he forces himself to walk away from the doorway entirely. Naruto guffaws when he returns to his post empty-handed within a few seconds, though.

Belly full, Daiki unlatches from her nipple and Naruto adjusts his position until his face rests against the burp cloth on her shoulder. After a few gentle pats on his back, he burps. Laying him atop a nearby blanket, she turns back toward her audience.

Naruto is infinitely amused that her shirt rolled up to reveal her bare breasts seems to have broken Madara, even after all this time. Entranced, his eyes follow her movements as she skims the underside of one with a finger before squeezing it. Holding back laughter, she offers, "Want a sip?"

Rather than sputter and flush in embarrassment like she expected him to, Madara closes the distance between them in a few strides. He squats in front of her and places his hands on her shoulders before firmly, but gently pushing her down onto the tatami. Looming over her, he pulls her shirt up even more before lowering onto his elbows. His face on level with her chest, Madara latches on without further ado.

She never expected that he would actually take her up on it, but now she's here, isn't she?

Naruto shivers as a tongue much larger than Daiki's circles her nipple. Madara has his eyes closed, but she feels his lips curl into a smirk before sucking much harder than their infant son. Regardless of the vastly different circumstances, breast milk flows into his mouth and his exhalations ghost over her skin as he greedily drinks it down.

Without releasing the powerful suction he has on her breast, he leans to the side and supports his weight on one elbow. His free hand moves to squeeze and knead her unoccupied breast. Between the pinching and pulling on one nipple and the suction with an occasional graze of teeth on the other, heat begins to gather in her face and in the pit of her stomach. With her arms held at her sides, Naruto tries turning her face into the tatami in a last ditch effort to smother the moan that claws its way out of her mouth.

The shifting of her legs as she rubs her thighs together catches his attention and he pulls away. His tongue swipes across his lips to gather any remnants of breast milk that might be there. His eyes had been unreadable before, but she can see the haughty amusement and lust reflected in his Sharingan. Embarrassed, aroused, and frankly disappointed that he stopped, Naruto takes the opportunity to cover her face with her now free hands. Of course, he would record her _now._

Over the years, Naruto has come to consider a flash of the Sharingan during intimacy as the highest praise. She reasons that she must be pretty talented if Madara is enjoying himself so much that his self-control slips in his ecstasy, or, even better, he wants to commit the moment to memory. At the moment, however, the weight of his gaze is too much for her.

"If you do that, I can't see your face," Madara tuts before gripping her wrists and pinning them down onto the tatami on either side of her. The sweet taste of her breast milk lingering on his tongue, he takes in every detail of his wife: the dark flush of her skin, the bashful diversion of her eyes, the rise and fall of her chest as she releases a ragged breath. Yes, he wants to remember this vision for a _long_ time.

Eventually, she breaks the silence with a frustrated grumble, "I have to put Daiki down for his nap."

Satisfied with how he got the best of her, Madara allows her to roll away from him as he settles back onto his haunches. Entertaining as always, Naruto sits up and primly yanks her shirt down before collecting their son and making her way to the stairs. Never one to disappoint, she calls back, "Bedroom. _Now."_

Grateful that the girls will be at school for a few more hours, Madara gets to his feet and responds as he climbs the stairs after her, "In the middle of the day? How lewd."

He can imagine her fiery blush as she retorts, "Shut up! It's your fault, ya know!"

_**~A Day Out on the Town~** _

There are pros and cons to Madara mellowing out over the years. On the plus side, her husband is so different from the megalomaniac that threw her original world into chaos that she often forgets they're merely alternate versions of the same person. As for the negative, well, the current situation speaks for itself…

A bevy surrounds Madara and tries to strike up a conversation with him while he patiently waits for the rest of his family to finish their shopping. In contrast to the angsty teen that kept an entire shinobi village on its toes just over a decade ago, a seemingly single dad attracts a fair amount of attention in this distant civilian village famous for its botanical garden.

Since Hashirama shared her enthusiasm when she mentioned the attraction to him, they decided to make a family trip out of it. Mito, Madara, and the kids initially just went along with it, but everyone seemed to enjoy the day in one way or another.

When Daiki started to fuss, Madara split off from the group while they perused the gift shop. Once they were finished, Naruto left the girls with Mito's family and went to get her son and husband. In those few minutes since she last saw them, they caught quite a few women's eyes.

Naruto gets it. Madara is very good-looking to begin with, but he has grown slightly less reserved in public—especially for their kids. Furthermore, he has his hair tied back so none of it falls into Daiki's face while their son is strapped to his chest. The unobstructed view of his aristocratic features combined with their adorable son appeals to Naruto, too.

Of the many things she is willing to share, Madara is not one of them.

His head snaps in her direction when she calls out to him and he ruthlessly cuts through the crowd to get to her. If she internally gloats as a few of his admirers throw dirty looks her way, then that's only her business. In spite of the heat, she threads her arm through his and drags him away without a backward glance. Shockingly enough, Madara not only allows it, but he looks pleased by it.

_**~Taking Out the Trash~** _

Akane tolerated the interloper's presence for several months, but he has worn out his welcome. Taking matters into her own hands has had less than ideal results, thus far. Her covert attempts to escort him off the premises have all been thwarted by one enthralled family member or another. Her parents and elder sisters constantly swarm Daiki and never let him out of their sight, so disposing of him through normal means, such as the wastebasket and toilet, is no longer a viable option.

What is it about this squishy, smelly, loud baby that mesmerizes so many?

Perhaps, it's some kind of genjutsu? It must be an extraordinarily powerful one if her mother couldn't resist it. Begrudging as it is to admit, she thought Yuriko would have noticed the danger and dispelled it long before the situation worsened to this degree, but somehow Akane is the only one in the house that remains unaffected. Katsumi is nearly as oblivious as their mother, so she was a lost cause from the beginning, but even their father has fallen under Daiki's sway. He might even be the most far gone, but she won't give up on him. There _has_ to be a way to undo whatever has been done to him.

First, though, she needs to get rid of the source. This time should be different. The intruder in her arms, Akane nudges the front door open with her foot. Just as an opening wide enough for her to slip through appears, one of her elder sisters rounds the corner and demands, "Where are you going with Daiki?"

Blast. She underestimated him if he's capable of summoning minions to protect him. However, he chose wrong. Without any patience for mindless drones, Akane matter-of-factly informs her, "I'm returning him to the hospital."

Hands on her hips, Katsumi raises an eyebrow and parrots, "'Returning?'"

"Yes, 'returning.' I've had enough of his brainwashing," explains Akane with no small amount of exasperation.

"Brainwashing?"

"He's a leech somehow forcing our family to like him, but I'm the only one able to resist."

Katsumi rolls her eyes as if she's not the one prolonging an unnecessary conversation. She scoffs, "Must be tough not being the baby of the family anymore."

Akane's brow wrinkles in frustrated confusion. "Of course, I'm not a baby."

"You were for six years. Now, you're just mad that Daiki took your spot," she explains before snatching the parasite out of her hands and disappearing down the hall with him.

Breathing a calming breath through her nose, Akane tries to dissuade the notion of simply letting Katsumi remain under Daiki's control. Her mother might be disappointed in her once they've been freed, but her father will understand that sacrifices needed to be made.

~xXx~

If Daiki is going to hide behind his defenses like a coward rather than face her directly, it would seem that Akane has no other option than to try snapping her family out of their stupor. While Yuriko might be easier to convince, the distinct advantage Akane would have over him if she managed to convince her parents spurs her to approach them.

It's tough finding a time when neither of them is accompanied by another of the leech's victims, but a few days of tailing her father finally bears fruit. While sitting on the veranda with her mother, her father sighs, "What is it, Akane?"

According to some literature she read on the subject, the first step to convincing someone is letting them think it's their own idea. Thus, she emerges from her hiding place beneath the kotatsu and asks, "Do we really _need_ Daiki?"

Unfortunately, her parents share a look before her father firmly states, "Of course, we do."

Refusing to accept yet another failure, Akane pushes, "Are you certain?"

Brow furrowed, her father impatiently asks, "Yes, now what brought this on?"

"He's tricking you! He takes up all of your time and all you ever care about is him! You used to train with me everyday, but now it's always 'Not now,' or 'Later!' I don't want him here anymore," she finishes her outpouring of emotion with a sob.

Oh no.

Akane didn't mean to get worked up, but now her father will think she's throwing an immature tantrum. Scrubbing her eyes free of tears and desperately trying to even out her breathing, she hopes he doesn't think less of her. In her anxiety, Akane completely misses the razor sharp look her mother sends her father and his responding blanch.

She lets herself be drawn into her mother's lap and leans into her embrace. Akane tries to bury her face in her mother's neck to hide her shame as a comforting hand rubs her back. Unfortunately, her consolation comes to an abrupt end when her mother says, "Your brother isn't going anywhere, but—"

Akane wilts. This news is just as disappointing as the time Katsumi enlightened her that all of those times her father asked her to watch over uncle Izuna for him were just a cover for being babysat by her supposed charge.

"—your dad has something he wants to say to you," her mother finishes. With another wipe of her sleeve across her eyes, Akane sits up and looks at her father. Thankfully, there isn't any disdain in his expression, but he looks rather surprised. Her mother's voice is sweet as she settles Akane in her spot on the veranda and starts walking down the hall, " _I'm_ going to have a talk with him later, too."

This time, Akane sees him blanch. He sighs and crosses his arms. A long silence passes as he turns back to her mother's garden and collects his thoughts. Finally, he says, "Akane."

She straightens her posture and replies, "Yes, Father?"

Eyes still on the garden, he asks, "Do you think family is important?"

"Yes," she answers easily. Her sisters annoy her most of the time, but her mother is satisfactory and her father is the best.

He nods in approval. "So do I. In fact, I trust your mother and uncle with my life."

"Even when Mother is mad at you?"

He chuckles, "Yes, even then. Do you know why?"

"No," Akane replies with a shake of the head.

"Because, I know that she'll always support me in any way she can. It's natural for families to do so. Your...dissatisfaction with Daiki is natural, too. When I was younger, I too had similar feelings about my younger brothers from time to time."

Shocked and pleased that she's that much like him, she exclaims, "You did?!"

"I did," he confirms with a nod. In a somber tone, he continues, "I even wished they were gone a few times, and...my wish was granted. I used to have four brothers, but your uncle is the only one left. I regret ever wishing that of them."

Akane has only ever known her father's brother, Izuna, but she has heard mention of others. It's one of the things she isn't supposed to ask about and she really wants to hear more about them, but her father moves on to a different topic.

"Daiki may seem like a nuisance that hogs everyone's attention right now, but he won't always be that way. However, he'll always look to his elder sisters for guidance and protection. Someday, he'll be someone you can trust with your life, too. When the time comes, will you?"

"I will," she assures him. Honestly, Akane can't picture Daiki as anything more than a waste of resources, but if her father says he'll be reliable in the future, she trusts him.

His visible eye swivels away from the garden to look at her. "Good. I'll be expecting substantial improvement in your _Katon_ during training tomorrow."

Confident that she'll impress him, Akane happily assures, "I won't disappoint you!"

~xXx~

Though her father's words moved her, Akane still takes precautions and hedges her bets. Later that night, she looms over Daiki as he wriggles in his crib. Copying their father's authoritative tone, she stipulates, "I'll allow you to have Mother, but Father is _mine."_

He stares back at her blankly and gurgles in reply. To drive the point home, she chants, "Love Mother more. Love Mother more. Love Mother more."

Yuriko calls from the doorway, "Akane, Father said it's time for bed!"

Akane huffs and starts to walk away from the crib before turning back and hissing, "Remember what I said and we won't have any trouble."

_**~Succession~** _

After years of carefully avoiding the topic, Madara makes the catastrophic error of saying Daiki will be the next head of the clan. Naruto had just been cooing nonsense to their son. She probably didn't even mean anything by it when she called him the next hokage. There was no need to correct her. But, he knows that there's no taking it back when her posture straightens and she turns toward him to ask, "Don'tcha mean Katsumi?"

There was only a hint of accusation in her tone, but the calm atmosphere of the dinner table is long gone. Reasoning that it will only make things worse to pretend he said otherwise, he denies, "I don't."

Normally joyful eyes turn stony as Naruto decides that they're going to have this argument now. She challenges, "Why not?"

"A female hokage is all well and good, but the head of the Uchiha clan has always been succeeded by his firstborn son," Madara explains firmly. He has made many concessions for her and their daughters, but he won't just give away Daiki's birthright to make her happy.

A calming inhale and exhale indicate that his wife won't just accept that and move on. Honestly, he didn't expect her to. Generally, Naruto is far too soft on the kids, but the steel in her voice has them jumping to their feet as she orders, "Girls, take your brother upstairs. I have something to discuss with your dad."

Yuriko gathers Daiki into her arms before following her sisters' examples and hastily vacating the room. Their half-eaten dinners remain behind and Madara distantly hopes that means they'll wrap this argument up quickly.

~xXx~

Aunt Mito once said that Katsumi's parents are "passionate;" that they love just as tenaciously as they fight. Katsumi thinks they fight more than they should, but Mito assured her that they like to tease one another quite a bit. The shouting downstairs doesn't seem like playful bickering, though.

"—ya wanna bet?! If I whoop your ass with nothing but taijutsu, then Katsumi becomes the next head of the clan!"

"Deal," her dad growls in reply before the sound of the front door roughly jerking open and slamming shut travels upstairs. Her parents' chakra signatures draw away from the house as Katsumi slides her door open. Creeping past the neighboring room, she notices that Akane's door is wide open. She descends the stairs to find her youngest sister shoving her feet into her sandals and racing out the door. Her chakra signature heads in the same direction their parents' did.

The stairs creak behind Katsumi as Yuriko follows her down. They open the door to the living room and find nothing smashed or broken. Some miso soup has sloshed out of their bowls from someone possibly shoving the table or getting up too fast, but that's it. Apparently, it's also the extent of their restraint if the multiple booming sounds in the distance are any indication.

~xXx~

Hours later, Akane's chakra signature arrives back at the house seconds before their parents'. Within minutes, Katsumi hears knocking on her door and gives whoever it is permission to enter, "Come in."

"Hey! It's just me. I have good news," her mother eagerly announces while sliding open the door. "You're gonna be the head of the clan, ya know!"

Aghast at the bruises on her arms and face, Katsumi exclaims, "Mom, are you okay?!"

She nonchalantly flaps a hand and laughs, "You should see your dad! Anyway, your special training starts tomorrow, so go to bed early, okay?"

Dumbfounded, Katsumi nods and her mother smiles before taking her leave.

~xXx~

The next day, her father wakes her up before the sun has risen to begin training. He refuses to acknowledge his nasty bruises at all and won't hear of any complaints about the time. Apparently, becoming the head of the clan means her training regimen has been not only doubled, but intensified.

Joy.

When Katsumi slogs back to the house to get ready for school, she happens to come across a shaken Akane in the hallway. She asks what happened last night between their parents and Akane has trouble answering her. The words tumble out of her mouth as if they're incomprehensible to her. "Father...lost. Mother didn't...didn't hold back _at all_ …"

Well, now Katsumi _really_ can't tell her mom that she doesn't want to be the head of the clan after how much trouble she went to on her behalf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, gang. Mr. Plot is done circling the building and knocking on the windows. He's kicked down the door and he's here to shake things up.


	10. Trouble in Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Perfect Parent  
> Observation Day

_**~The Perfect Parent~** _

Madara had more little brothers than she had people that would actually look her in the eye before she became a genin, so Naruto usually follows his advice on raising the kids. Thus, she went along with it when he said that children like structure. One of the numerous routines that he has set up is having the kids report what they did that day when they sit down for dinner. He said that it encourages them not to waste the day and instills a sense of accomplishment in them that builds their confidence. Naruto liked the sound of that, so she was fully on board with it...until he used it as a way to shame Katsumi.

As the eldest, Katsumi usually starts off the routine, but Naruto sees her face fall when Madara deliberately interrupts her to ask Yuriko how her day was. Surprised, Yuriko blinks and reports her progress on her training and the perfect score she got on a test. Not wanting to make Yuriko feel bad, Naruto allows her to finish her report before sending the kids upstairs.

Well aware of what's about to happen, they grab their dinner trays and file upstairs. It's disheartening how little communication was necessary between Katsumi and Yuriko to delegate who would carry the other's tray and who would carry Daiki, but Naruto needs Madara to know that what he just did was unacceptable.

He crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow. Clearly, he sees no issue with how he just humiliated their daughter. Thus, Naruto doesn't bother holding back her anger and growls, "What the fuck was that?"

"Language," he chides. When Naruto merely glares at him in response, he explains, "Katsumi has hit a plateau in her training. She doesn't have anything worth reporting."

Fists clenched in her pants, Naruto seethes. "The hell she doesn't! How would you feel if your dad belittled you in front of your entire family?!"

"It encouraged me to try harder the next day," Madara answers nonchalantly—as if it was a regular occurrence.

Naruto pauses. That doesn't sound like something a parent should do. To confirm, she asks, "Your dad did that regularly?"

His face is blank as he answers, "It didn't happen to me often, but Homura was usually chastised for his unsatisfactory performance that way."

She knows exactly which brother he's talking about: the one that pushed himself too hard during training and became easy pickings for a Senju raid. Madara blames himself for Homura's untimely death, but Naruto is starting to think otherwise. But, he is just as sensitive as her when it comes to criticizing parents, so she tentatively tries a different angle, "Do you think he appreciated that?"

"Whether he appreciated it or not is irrelevant. It was supposed to encourage him to improve," he asserts with an edge.

Naruto doesn't feel good about it, but if it's the only way to get through to him, she'll dredge up awful memories. "Did it work, though? Did he improve?"

Madara's eyes narrow as he flatly responds, "What are you getting at?"

No going back now. She takes a deep breath and rips the bandaid off, "I'm saying Homura might still be here if your dad hadn't been so hard on him. If he was, he'd probably resent your dad for what he did."

His eyes widen, his eyebrows raise, and his nostrils flare. Boiling over with incredulous anger, Madara defensively fires back, "Parenting is about doing what's best for your child, not being their best friend! My father did the best he could for us during wartime! That's more than yours can say!"

Naruto barely restrains the urge to yell back at him. Keeping in mind that she's doing this for the kids and she can't let him change the subject, she quietly hisses, "My dad's got nothin' to with this—"

"Doesn't he?! He chose an ungrateful village and a world of strangers over you, _his own child!_ He's the reason you don't even know how to be a parent!"

Madara hits a raw nerve with that comment, but Naruto repeats the mantra she has taught herself to believe, "He did what he thought was best—"

"For everyone else. Not **you.** My father wouldn't have _abandoned_ his children and he definitely wouldn't have pushed _his own responsibilities_ onto us beforehand."

She tries to get a word in edgewise, "He didn't—"

"Tell me, did a few words of encouragement years later make up for growing up alone?"

As soon as the cruel words are out of his mouth, Madara knows he went too far. In his anger, he said things he has always thought about Namikaze Minato, but held back out of consideration for his wife's flimsy attachment to him—a child chasing after wisps of affection from a parent incapable of giving it.

Tears well up in her eyes. Her voice is so very small as she croaks, "No…"

"Naruto—" Madara reaches out to grasp her hand, but she snatches it away from him.

Her brow wrinkles as she tries to muster up some anger in between hitches of breath, but all she can manage is a dejected sob, "He was all I had…"

This time, Naruto allows him to catch her hand. Madara holds her in place as he comes around the table to embrace her. She sags against his chest and he squeezes her to him tighter. He tells her, "You deserved better. You still do."

A long silence passes and Madara realizes that she doesn't believe him. So, he tips her chin up to face him and tells her something she can, "I won't _ever_ choose anyone over family, over **you.** "

With a face awash with tears and a tightness in her throat, Naruto struggles to uncertainly rasp, "...y-you won't?"

Madara would burn that damn village down and torch her father a thousand times over if it would help Naruto feel even the tiniest bit less insecure. He looks her dead in the eye and assures, "I guarantee it."

Naruto wants to be mad at him. For what he said about her dad. For what he did to Katsumi. But…she wants to be selfish for once.

Her arms wrap around him and she clings hard enough to leave bruises, but Madara doesn't say anything. He allows her to do whatever she needs to confirm that he's really here; to feel reassured that he won't leave her behind.

She wants to be connected. _Now._

Pushing him down, Naruto crawls on top of him and begins tearing at his clothes. Undressing, stimulation, lubrication—everything hampers the intertwinement of their bodies. Unwilling to wait even another second, she sinks down onto him.

The burn of insufficient preparation doesn't even compare to the hollow loneliness that haunts her even after she has left it far behind. Madara's face contorts in discomfort at the excess of friction, but he doesn't push her away. With his help, Naruto gets wet enough to move and she begins rolling her hips at a grueling pace.

Madara rolls them over and rams into her with everything he's got while completely enveloping her in his embrace. All too soon, the heat gathering inside both of them bursts out and their muscles contract before going lax. He starts to pull away, but Naruto pulls him back down.

"I'm sorry," he breathlessly apologizes beside her ear.

"Me, too," she pants before cupping his cheeks and pulling his mouth toward hers. In between kisses, she pleads, "Please...be better...for our kids."

"I will," he vows when she releases him long enough. Naruto immediately pulls him back down afterward.

_**~Observation Day~** _

Though Katsumi carefully hid the notification handouts she was supposed to give to her parents, Akane ruins her best-laid plans of avoiding the topic entirely with a single question during dinner, "Father, you'll observe my class, won't you?!"

From a few spots down the table, their father calmly reminds her youngest sister of how their parents have always split up Observation Day, "I'll be observing Katsumi's class. Your mother will visit Yuriko's class and then yours."

Somewhere between an argument and a whine, Akane mentions, "But, we're doing a demonstration!"

If this has to happen, Katsumi reasons she might as well try to ease the pressure. Taking the opportunity her sister unwittingly gave her, she turns to her mom and asks, "A-actually, can you come to my class?"

"Sure, I can," answers her mom with a smile. Katsumi tries to hide her relief as best she can, but she can't help a slight slouch.

The eyes she has been avoiding settle on her, but Katsumi pretends not to notice. Displeased, her dad argues, "I always go to Katsumi's class."

Wonderful woman that she is, her mom reasons, "We can try out something different, can't we? Besides, Akane really wants you to go to her class, right?"

"Right," Akane eagerly jumps in with a grateful look to her mother.

Together, they direct expectant looks at her dad until he relents with a huff, "Will your demonstration be during the first or second period after lunch?"

Beaming, Akane answers, "The second!"

"We'll just be having a normal lesson during the first period after lunch. Sorry, Father," Yuriko apologizes while neatly sectioning off a piece of fish from her dish.

Pouring some sauce on his rice, their dad hums, "You're studying genjutsu still, correct? I'm interested to hear how your teacher intends to explain it."

The dinner table conversation moves on to different topics as Katsumi releases a quiet exhale. Unfortunately, that was the easy part.

~xXx~

After a few years of narrowly avoiding an encounter with Uchiha Madara on a battlefield, Senju Yuji was all too happy when the treaty was signed and Konohagakure was formed. The occasional sighting of Madara on the street still sped his heart rate up to dangerous levels, but the knowledge that they were allies rather than enemies always calmed him down. Never all that suited for combat, Yuji jumped on the opportunity to become a teacher when the academy was expanded. Life was blissful until two particular children were assigned to his class: Uchiha Yuriko and Uchiha Byakuya.

Honestly, he probably should have expected that the top two students in his class were the daughter and son of Madara and Izuna, respectively.

Yuji does his best to regulate his breathing as two figures that haunted his nightmares not too long ago stand in the back of his classroom to observe their children. The fact that the layout of the room means they're standing on a platform at the top of an incline, a clearly advantageous position, isn't helping matters.

Austere expressions on their faces, the fearsome Uchiha brothers stand side-by-side in front of the other parents. While the sight of a baby sling strapped to Madara's chest is not necessarily rare after the man was spotted carrying each of his daughters in a similar fashion, it is still difficult for Yuji to comprehend. Within the sling, Madara's first and only son naps with his head resting against his father's chest. The image almost softens the harsh black eyes that occasionally swivel away from Yuriko and into his direction throughout class.

Compared to his older brother, Izuna has always been less scary. While Yuji knew better than to engage him in combat during the war, he might have been fine if it had just been Izuna standing in the back of the classroom infrequently glaring down at him. Unlike Madara, he doesn't have a child strapped to his chest, but Yuji knows that he has another son that could be in his class in the future.

Madara has another daughter, too. If staffroom rumors are to be believed, she's a lot more like her father and not nearly as polite as Yuriko.

Once more, Yuji's star pupil raises her hand to answer yet another question. Madara's glare bores into the side of his head, silently daring him to pick another child to answer. Wordlessly praying for time to pass faster, Yuji selects Yuriko for the fourth time in a row to answer a question he posed to the class. She answers correctly and he praises her like he always does.

The heavy atmosphere alleviates a tad as Madara's glare changes targets and Yuji lets loose his millionth relieved exhale. Thankfully, Observation Day only happens once a year.

~xXx~

Once all of her students have gathered in front of her in the practice yard, Sarutobi Shiori asks her students, "Who would like to go first—"

A small hand shoots up from the crowd as Akane asserts, "I would!"

Quite familiar with Akane's selective enthusiasm and her penchant for showing up her peers, Shiori gives the class a thorough once-over for any tentative hands raised. Meanwhile, she pointedly ignores the intimidating glare of Akane's father boring into her back from the shade where the parents are standing. Effectively cowed, none of her other students will even meet her eye. Masking a sigh as a huff, Shiori gives her most problematic student the go-ahead, "Akane, it is."

Possibly the only mannerism she inherited from the second hokage, the girl pumps her fist in excitement before remembering that her father is watching. She coughs into her fist in an attempt to cover up her perceived blunder. Beside her, Sakiko rolls her eyes. Quickly moving on, Akane marches to the designated starting position and jumps into the air. She momentarily disappears before reappearing some distance ahead, upside down. Several kunai fly out of her hands in a flurry of movement before she gracefully lands on her feet in the designated finish spot. As was expected, she hit the center of every target and the training dummy has quite a few extra projectiles embedded in it.

The routine is supposed to end there, but Shiori has to call out to Akane once she sees her student cycling through hand signs, "Nicely _done,_ Akane. You can come join the rest of the class back here, now."

Displeased that she was stopped before she could torch the dummy, Akane drops her hands to her sides and huffs, "If I must."

Shiori really wants to tell Akane to watch her tone, but she holds her tongue as the girl immediately redirects her attention to the shade behind the class. Out of the corner of her eye, Shiori sees Madara nod in approval. Beside him, the hokage's aide has a small smile on her face and quietly claps her hands. Beaming with pride and her head held high, Akane marches back to her original spot.

Grateful that Observation Day only comes once a year, Shiori settles her hands on her hips and asks the class now that they don't have to fear incurring Akane's wrath, "Who wants to go next?"

~xXx~

The clock ticks away, but Katsumi's mom has yet to appear. Subtlety has never been her strong suit, but Katsumi glances at the back of the classroom where the other parents are standing to see if her mom slipped in without her noticing. The first hokage notices her and waves at her with a friendly smile on his face. She weakly waves back in reply before her pseudo-uncle directs his attention to the other side of the room, probably to where Wakaba's seat is.

Honestly, Katsumi can't tell if she's relieved or disappointed that her mom doesn't appear to be coming. Either way, this is far better than her dad observing her class like he usually does. Her teacher is visibly relieved that he won't have to desperately avoid making accidental eye-contact with the imposing figure of her dad. He already looks exhausted from just the first hokage's greeting and presence.

A scant few minutes before the bell to start class is about to ring, Katsumi's mom roughly slides the back classroom door open and darts inside. The commotion draws quite a bit of attention. Several children and parents turn and murmur in awe like they did when uncle Hashirama arrived. She spots Katsumi and waves with a wide smile before coming to stop beside her predecessor and friend.

The friendly smiles on their faces notwithstanding, the first and second hokage paint an intimidating picture and Katsumi sees the moment the rest of her teacher's energy drains from his body. Shimura Hachi breathes a deep breath out his nose and begins class.

The lesson progresses as it usually does until they hit a snag in the form of a question that no one knows how to answer. Or, if someone does know, they aren't willing to speak up. Several children try and fail to answer it. Katsumi desperately hopes that the teacher will just move on, but his eyes land on her despite her best attempts to blend into the background. He asks, "Katsumi, do you know the answer?"

She doesn't even understand the topic of the lesson, but with all eyes on her she has to say something. Looking at the board and trying to glean some sort of information from it proves futile. Shimura-sensei has a bad habit of forgetting to write notes down. The silence stretches long enough that Katsumi's face grows red and she shamefully hangs her head as she quietly answers, "No…"

Snickers erupt across the class. Shimura-sensei shushes them, but Maki remarks just loud enough for Katsumi to hear from a few rows behind her, "There's no way she _would_ know."

On either side of her, Ume and Michiko laugh. Resisting the urge to curl in on herself, Katsumi sneaks a glance back at her mom for some comfort. The supportive thumbs up and smile that greet her contrast starkly with the hokage haori on her shoulders. Feeling even worse, Katsumi crosses her arms atop her desk and hides her face in them for the rest of class. All the while, she wonders why Observation Day can't just end already.

~xXx~

Katsumi and her mom regroup with the rest of the family after school. Wide awake by now, Daiki leans out of the baby carrier towards their mom as soon as he catches sight of her. He alternates between trying to push away from their dad's chest with all of his limbs and reaching his hands out toward their mom. Laughing all the while, her mom lifts her little brother out of the sling while her dad grumbles. She coos, "I missed you, too, Daiki!"

Even Daiki's happy gurgles don't make Katsumi feel better. Thankfully, her mom directs the conversation away from her observation. Settling Daiki in her arms as they walk home, she asks her husband, "How were Yuriko and Akane's classes?"

"They outshined everyone else, as usual. I'm very proud of you," answers her dad with congratulatory pats on both of her sisters' heads. Yuriko smiles a little brighter. Akane swings the hand interlocked with their dad's in obvious joy and triumph. Katsumi feels small as her dad asks the question she fears most, "How was Katsumi's class?"

"She blew everyone away with her smarts. I'm so proud of her, ya know," her mom lies and smiles at her. Despite how many times Katsumi has heard from a slew of different people that her mom is a terrible liar, her dad doesn't call her out on what he has to know isn't true. He merely hums and darts a glance in her direction before Katsumi looks away and tries to hide behind her mom.

Years later, Katsumi will understand that her mom was just trying to help, but wonder whether she should have just told her dad the truth in the first place.


End file.
